Just Across the Hall
by SunflowersAndHoney
Summary: Semi-AU. Mia and Letty are roommates and sparks fly when Mia's brother, Dominic and his best friend, Brian, move into their apartment building. Just across the hall. Dotty & Bria. Definite M for lovin' and language. Doesn't follow film timeline. Mainly Dom/Letty.
1. Part I -- Moving In

Title: _Just Across The Hall_

Author: Desi

Rating: M+ (as usual)

Summary: Semi-AU. Mia and Letty are roommates and sparks fly when Mia's brother, Dominic and his best friend, Brian, move into their apartment building. Just across the hall. Dotty & Bria. Definite M+ for lovin' and language.

**Disclaimer**: If they're familiar to you, I don't own them.

A/N: This story is the I have four other stories in progress right now. Feel free to check those out as well. Also, for the sake of time and immature relationship activities, I've made the team younger (they should probably thank me). Enjoy, munchkins. (:

_**Chapter 1: Moving In**_

_Saturday, mid-June, Los Angeles, 9:23AM_

Rhythmic thumping and shouting had awaken Letty on her day off.

"You have _got _to be _kidding _me!" Letty grumbled, annoyed.

The brunette pulled one of her pillows off of her head and then squinted at the harsh sunlight that filled her room. She sat up and pushed the black duvet off of her body as she slipped her legs over the side of the platform bed. Goosebumps immediately prickled her tanned, olive skin, thanks to the air conditioner on full blast.

In black boxer shorts, a white, V-neck t-shirt and her hair in wild curls, Letty struggled to make her way to her bedroom door. Opening it, the noises got louder and Letty's hangover seemed much worse. As she made her way down the short hallway, she peeked in the kitchen to see Mia, her best friend of 15 years, drinking a cup of coffee and surfing the internet on the MacBook in front of her.

"What the fuck is going on?" Letty demanded.

"New neighbors." Mia answered. She drank from her coffee mug and then offered it to Letty. "From the yelling, I'm pretty sure they're moving a couch and it accidentally fell on someone's foot."

Letty accepted the offered mug and sipped from it, gratefully. "Who moves at nine a.m.?"

"Normal people." Mia replied, distractedly. Leaning closer to her computer screen, she muttered, "Alexander McQueen, available only in mustard and charcoal. Pass."

"Who's moving in next door?"

"Two guys."

"Gay?"

Mia laughed. "Not as far as I know."

"Well, I'm gonna tell 'em to keep it down." Letty headed to the front door and Mia jumped up from the table to follow her.

Unlocking and opening the front door, Letty began, "Hey guys, could you keep it-."

In her line of vision stood Dominic Toretto, Mia's older brother. In just a tank top and sweatpants, the Italian's muscles rippled, damp with a light sheen of perspiration. He was lifting one end of a large, black leather couch. Letty's brown eyes flashed towards the white boy that carried the other end.

"Down." Letty breathed out.

"Sure thing, Let. Sorry for being so loud." Dom replied.

"Letty, you remember my brother, Dom, and his friend Brian, right?" Mia smirked, gently pushing her shoulder.

"Uh... yeah. Hey." Letty replied. Suddenly, her wild bedhead was making her a little self-conscious. And her boxers were a little too revealing.

_What the hell was she thinking? It was only Dominic! He wasn't anybody special! _Besides, Dominic Toretto had seen her in much less.

"Hey." Dom smiled.

"What's up, Letty?" Brian greeted.

"Rough night?" Dom asked as he turned and manuevered the couch into the door of their apartment.

"Always." Letty grinned.

"Hey, you guys should come by for a couple of beers tonight once we're all moved in." Brian offered.

"Sounds like a plan." Mia said. "In the meantime, do you guys need any help?"

"We need all the help we can get. My buddy, Vince, was supposed to be here at nine, with Leon and Jessie, but apparently, they had a rough night too." Dom explained.

The two men backed further into the apartment before setting the couch down.

Mia looked at Letty, before whispering. "You might want to take care of that, uh... issue in your bedroom."

Letty's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. Here." She thrusted the steaming liquid into Mia's hands before heading back to her bedroom. She climbed back onto her bed and pushed the brunette hair out of her sleeping companion's face. Letty kissed the cheek of the exotic woman in her bed.

"Gisele, wake up." Letty prodded, gently. "I have to help my friend's brother move into his apartment today."

The gorgeous, tall woman twisted in her semi-asleep state, stretching languidly. "Okay. Okay, I'm up," her accented voice announced. She turned to face Letty and smiled. "You're cute in the morning."

Letty laughed. "So are you."

Pushing back the sheets and duvet, Gisele exposed her nude body, tempting Letty. She grabbed Letty's hands and placed them on her naked breasts, prompting Letty to squeeze them. Letty leaned down to kiss Gisele's cheek.

"Mm. I would love to continue this, but I have to go help. Maybe I'll see you later." Letty told her.

"Fine." Gisele acquiesced. She got up, peeling her strapless bandage dress off of the floor and pulling it over her head. She grabbed her platform-pumps, wallet and keys from various places in Letty's room and started towards the front door. Letty followed.

The front door had been left ajar, and Letty could see Mia placing a box down on the floor across the hall. Gisele turned around and planted one last kiss on Letty's cheek before she headed down the stairs. Letty turned on her heels, pushing her hair back and headed back to her room to get dressed.

Just across the hall, Dom had caught the fleeting moment between Letty and Gisele. He smirked and shook his head before ripping open a cardboard box.

_Noon_

Dropping a box on the floor, Letty twisted side-to-side, stretching her back.

"Lift with your knees. Not your back. Otherwise you'll pull something." Dom told her.

Letty turned around to see Dom setting two iron and glass side tables by the couch. As she pulled her hair up into a messy ponytails, she nodded her head.

"Good to know."

"The calvary has arrived." Leon's voice said. He, Jesse and Vince walked through the open front door.

"Letty! It's been too long, girl. Get over here." Vince laughed.

Hugging each of them, Letty began to feel like she was at home again.

_Flashback, 10 years ago, (2003), Los Angeles_

_Running as fast as her feet could take her, a fifteen-year-old Letty headed down the street, fresh tears flowing freely. Her low-top Chuck Taylor's pounding against the pavement as she made a sharp right, taking the cement stairs two at a time. _

_"Mia!" Letty yelled, her small fist pounding on the front door. Her chest heaved and her thighs ached. Her head whipped over her shoulder to make sure the coast was still clear._

_Before she had a chance to bang again, the front door flew open and Anthony Toretto stood there, as tall and strong as he could be, commanding respect. He looked down at the toned teenager on his doorstep and his face changed from annoyed to concern._

_"Letty, wha-."_

_"Hi, Mr. Toretto. Is Mia here?" Letty asked, quickly through a set of sniffs. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her mascara smearing._

_"Letty! Letty, get your ass back here!" A loud voice yelled down the street._

_Letty and Tony turned in the direction that the teenager had came to see her stepfather heading down the street._

_"Get inside now." He said. He pulled Letty into the house. Eighteen-year-old Dom and Vince, hearing the commotion, came around from the detached garage._

_"Pop? What's going on?" Vince asked. He and Dom were covered in engine oil and dirt._

_Mia had run down the stairs and she'd pulled Letty into a hug. Pulling back, Mia pushed Letty's hair from her face, noticing the reddening cheek. "Jesus, Letty. Come on. Let's put some ice on your face."_

_While Mia led her best friend to the kitchen, Tony, Dom and Vince walked down the stairs as Letty's stepfather walked up._

_"You are not welcome here. Turn around and go back home, Marc." Tony told him._

_"I'm not leaving here without Letty. She's a minor and she'll do as I say." He wiped his lip, wincing at the sharp sting. Despite the situation, Dom smirked. Letty had clearly fought back and gotten a few good hits in._

_Stepping toe-to-toe with Marco Parrilla, Anthony Toretto was never one to back down. _

_"Listen, Marc. You reek of bourbon and you've been hitting on that girl. If you step foot back onto my property, I will __**not **__call the police. I will __**personally **__handle this. And if you __**ever **__decide to call the cops, we'll have a dozen photos showing just exactly what you've done to her. Furthermore, she __**does **__not live with you or her mother any longer. We have plenty of room here." Tony looked him up and down in disgust. "Get yourself some help, Marco."_

_End of flashback_

_7:01PM_

"I totally remember that. I thought Mr. T was going to kick Marco's ass." Vince laughed.

"So, did Marco ever come back for Letty?" Brian asked.

"He tried once. And he got my mother to try, too. Mr. Toretto had even offered to legally adopt me." Letty replied, drinking from her beer. "He was an amazing man."

They'd finished unloading the U-Haul truck and it wasn't long before they'd noticed that the sun was setting. Cracking open a few beers, the small team started to unpack a few boxes as they sat around the newly-furnished living room.

Dom cleared his throat and drank from his Corona. Conversations about his dad still saddened him. He was the best man that Dom had ever known; he'd taught Dom how to be a real man.

Mia patted her brother's knee and then looked back down into the box she'd been looking through. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Letty. Using the couch for leverage, she pushed herself off of the floor and moved onto the black, buttery-smooth leather. Dom watched from the corner of his eye as Letty pulled her knees up, rested them against the arm of the couch and released her hair from its elastic prison.

"I'm starving. Anyone want a pizza?" Jesse asked, grabbing his cell phone off of the table.

"Will you order pizza and Chinese? I want shrimp fried rice and a slice of mushroom pizza." Vince announced.

"That sounds so good. Count me in." Letty added.

"Same." Mia and Leon said in unison.

Looking over at her childhood crush, and first lover, Letty took a personal note that he was already looking at her.

_**Up Next: A little too much comfortability.**_

_A/N: Feed the writer. Reviews are extra healthy treats._


	2. A Cup of Milk

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, lovers! I'm so happy you're liking this story already! Keep them coming. Oh, and this story will be a three-parter. Haven't decided how many chapters will be in each part, but I'll figure it out soon. (: Enjoy.**_

_**Chapter 2: A Cup Of Milk**_

_Monday, Los Angeles, 10:15AM_

Letty quickly grabbed a ceramic bowl from an overhead cabinet and sat it on the counter. Pouring cereal into the bowl with one hand, Letty pulled on her left Doc Marten with the other. She opened the fridge and searched frantically for the gallon of milk, pushing items aside before slamming the door shut again. If she was late to work again, she was sure Hector would fire her, but she needed breakfast

"Mia, there's no milk!"

"Put it on the list!" Mia yelled back from her bedroom. "And go borrow some from the guys!"

Letty rolled her eyes, and looked at her house keys that sat on the table. Dom and Brian had given Mia and Letty each a key to their apartment, just in case. Letty didn't want to use it. It felt too... personal. Grabbing her keys, Letty headed across the hall. She fiddled with the jingling metal for a few moments before deciding against using them. The brunette raised her fist to knock when the door swung open. Brian stood there, swinging a "Los Angeles Police Academy" gym bag over his shoulder. He looked startled to see Letty in front of him.

"Uh, hey."

"Morning." He responded.

"I just need milk for cereal. Mia forgot to pick it up this week."

"Oh, sure. No problem. Help yourself. I'm late."

"Me too. But, you know, bird's gotta eat."

"I hear ya. See ya later, Letty."

"Later."

They sidestepped each other as Letty entered their apartment and Brian headed off down the hallway. Shutting the door behind her, the fiery Latina walked through the living room and small dining room into the kitchen. In the distance, she heard a shower cut off. She opened the refrigerator and took out the milk carton, glancing at the "Have You Seen Me?" photo that was visible.

Behind her she heard movement and when she turned around, Dominic Toretto was leaning against the entryway of the kitchen. A maroon-colored towel around his waist and his sculpted chest gleaming from his shower. Letty allowed her eyes to travel down his body and back up, her mouth slightly open.

_Holy hell_, Letty thought.

"Are you kidnapping our milk forever or will we see it again?" Dom joked.

"Uh.. Uh, cereal. For me. For breakfast." Letty cleared her throat and licked her bottom lip, giving her enough time to get her thoughts together. "Mia forgot to get milk. Brian said it was cool."

Dom tilted his head slightly, giving Letty a once-over. Her dark skinny jeans were tucked into black Dr. Marten boots and her colbalt blue work shirt boasted ''Pep Boys Auto Shop".

"Well. Thanks." Letty quipped, holding up the milk carton. As she started out of the kitchen, Dom stepped in front of her. Letty stopped abruptly, nearly bumping into his chest.

"So, who was the girl on Saturday?" He asked.

"What girl?"

"The one that left your apartment doing the Walk of Shame?"

"Oh! Gisele? She's just... someone." Letty admitted. She shifted her weight from her right to left foot, uncomfortable with being questioned about her sexcapades.

"Is that 'someone' like just-a-drunken-night someone or white-dress-in-a-church someone."

Letty let out a hearty laugh. "Definitely the first one. Why?"

"No reason. She was... hot."

Letty rolled her eyes. Same old Dominic.

"She go both ways?" Dom inquired, suddenly interested.

Letty lifted her hand, shoving the milk carton into Dom's chest, irritation suddenly overcoming her.

"Now I remember why we stopped." Letty fumed.

"Stopped what?"

"Doing what we were doing."

"Dating?"

"If you can call it that." She pushed past the eldest Toretto towards the living room.

"Oh, come on, Letty! I was just-."

The door slammed with Letty on the other side.

"Kidding." Dom muttered to himself.

He sat the milk on the counter, berating himself. "Way to go, Toretto."

Entering her own apartment, Letty slammed yet another door in a huff.

"What's wrong? They out of milk, too?" Mia asked, amused.

"Your brother is a _dick_." Letty huffed. She grabbed her messenger bag and travel coffee cup before heading back out.

Mia raised her eyebrows, a smirk passing over her face before she drank from her coffee.

"They _so _still have the hots for each other."

_Flashback, 7 years ago (2006), August, Los Angeles_

_It had been a week since Dom had been home. Silence washed over the house, no one knowing what to say or how to act around him. He was distant, introverted... different. No one expected him to be the same person once he was home. Lompoc had changed him._

_He ate, slept, worked and repeated the cycle. He didn't eat with the family. Mia brought his food to his room; his safe haven. It was hard to process. He'd just lost two years of his life and his father. And now he had to be the man of the house. Had to take over the family business. Had to be the provider, the protector._

_It seemed that Letty was the only one that seemed to get through to him. Every night for a week, while the rest of the house slept, Letty would slip into his room and let him talk for as long as he needed to. Sometimes he'd tell her about the horrible things he'd seen in prison. Other times he would just voice his concern about not being able to take care of her, Mia and his small family. _

_Every night for a week, Letty allowed Dom's scent to overwhelm her senses as he laid his head on her chest, falling asleep by breathing her in and counting her heartbeats. And the next morning, he would be slightly less introverted._

_It was on the eighth night of Dominic's homecoming that things went from platonic to romantic between the two._

_Letty had entered his room, only to hear shower water coming from Dominic's en-suite bathroom. She plopped down on his bed, spotting the latest issue of a car magazine. She kicked her feet up, crossing them at the ankles. The shower water cut off, and suddenly, Letty's heartbeat quickened. The glass door slid on its hinges and Letty's palms got moist. She wiped them on her sweatpants and exhaled, attempting to calm herself._

Why was she so nervous?_ She'd seen Dom without a shirt before. When they'd gone to the beach, or when it got too hot in the auto shop._

_Dom walked out, a dark green towel around his waist. His face showing alarm when he saw Letty relaxing on his bed, but the expression passed quickly. With softened features, Dominic almost looked child-like to Letty. Innocent. Vulnerable._

_"Hey." She breathed out. Her eyes couldn't help themselves from admiring the sculpted god in front of her._

_"Hey." He replied._

_She started to stand up. "I'll let you get dressed."_

_"No, wait." He stopped her. "I'll only be a few minutes. Stay."_

_Letty sat on the the edge of the bed, awkwardly. Dom grabbed a couple items of clothing before heading back into his bathroom. The brunette blew air out of her mouth, her cheeks inflating as she did so._

_A few minutes passed and Dominic returned in sweatpants and the towel now around his shoulders._

_"You mind?" He asked, using a bottle of lotion to point to his back._

_At a loss for words, Letty just nodded her head and scooted back on the bed. While Dom moved to claim the edge, Letty kneeled behind him, taking the lotion. He removed the towel from his neck. She poured a fair amount of the moisturizer into her palm and warmed it by rubbing her hands together before commencing._

_What started out as a simple task turned into an impromptu back massage. Letty kneaded her fingers against the built-up tension in his broad back and shoulders. Dom showed his appreciation with subtle grunts and groans. Letty smiled and her hands slid down either of his arms, firmly caressing the skin and muscle. _

_With his left hand, Dom grabbed hold of Letty's right one and kissed her open palm. Then her forearm. Her upper arm. And when it was necessary, he pivoted slightly on the bed, kissing her neck. Cheek. And finally, her lips. She had one hand on his chest and the other on his face and she kissed him back. From sweet, gentle pecks to a passionate liplock._

_"Mm. Wait, wait. We can't." Dom gulped. His breathing was shallow and their foreheads remained touching._

_"Right. Mia's my best friend. A-and-," stammered Letty, her chest heaving._

_"Yeah. It wouldn't be-."_

_They kissed again._

_"It wouldn't be right." Letty finished for him. She nodded her head in agreement and he mimicked her gesture, trying desperately to pull himself away from the forbidden fruit._

_"Let's just... let's just talk."_

_"Yeah. Yeah, talking's good. We can talk." _

_Two kisses and a push from Letty later, Dom cleared his throat and the two pulled away. Letty sat at the head of the bed and Dom moved to the foot. Safe distance._

_"So, uh, what do you want to talk about?"_

_"Anything."_

_"Except sex."_

_"We could talk about sex. We just can't... we can't-."_

_"Act on it?"_

_Letty nodded her head. "Right."_

_"Why? Besides you being my little sister's best friend."_

_"Uh, well for one: there's a rumor. You know, that you have a strict 'no virgins' rules." Letty said, using her fingers as quotation marks._

_Dom opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He shut it again, giving himself time to think._

_"Well," he finally began, coolly, "some rules are made to be broken."_

_The hunger in his eyes was overwhelming and Letty felt the need to lighten the mood before things got out of hand._

_She playfully inquired, "So, why were you such a jerk to me when I was younger."_

_"You were fifteen. I was seventeen. It was kind of my job to be a jerk to you."_

_"Good point. And when I turned sixteen, you started to respect me more. Let me work on more cars with you. Why?"_

_An eye-crinkling smile gave way to Dom's face. The first one in two years. He chuckled lightly. "And when you turned sixteen, Letty, you-."_

_"Had your attention?"_

_"Something like that."_

_A few heartbeats passed in silence._

_"Dom?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Come closer."_

_As if Letty's wish were his command, he cautiously moved up on the bed, positioning himself next to Letty against the pillows._

_"Closer." She dictated._

_And so he moved closer._

_"Closer."_

_"Letty, any closer and I'll be on top of you."_

_Letty looked him in the eyes and nodded her head, nervously. And so he moved closer._

_End of flashback_

_10:47AM_

"Letty, you're late for the third time this week. You're fired." Hector said.

"You can fire me after this shift." Letty said, putting her bag inside of her locker. She had spent the better part of her morning commute, sitting in traffic and thinking about the first time she'd allowed Dominic Toretto make love to her. All she wanted to do was smell some engine grease and take out her frustrations by working on something fixable. Unlike her love life.

_Stupid Dominic Toretto. Stupid apartment vacancy. Stupid Mia for telling them about it._

"No. You're fired now."

"Hector, I'm always late, but I'm the best mechanic you have."

"Today was an important day. Mr. Tran came in to pick up his car, only to see that his rims weren't finished and the paint job hadn't even been started." Hector explained.

Letty tapped her head against her locker door. "Shit. I forgot. A lot... happened this morning."

"Exactly. So, I love you, you're a great friend. But I still have to fire you."

"Fine." She said, pulling her bag out of her locker. "I'll be back on Thursday to pick up my check."

_**Up Next: A movie night complete with a job offer.**_


	3. Movie Night

_**A/N: So glad you guys are loving this story! It's been in the making for quite some time. (: Keep the yummy review treats coming! This chapter is so NSFW. Enjoy, lovers!**_

_**Chapter 3: Movie Night**_

_Mia & Letty's apartment, Friday, 8:07PM_

Letty unlocked the door to the apartment, her headphones still blasting an uptempo hip-hop song. She nodded her head to the beat and dropped her gym bag on the floor by the door. Sitting her keys inside the key bowl, the brunette reached for the stack of mail with her name on it and removed her headphones.

She turned towards the living room and looked up from her mail to see Dom sitting on her couch.

Letty's face expressed disgust. "Mia! When did we get a dog?!"

Dom's eyebrows went up before he reached for the glass of soda on the glass coffee table.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

She'd spent the better part of a week avoiding him. And yet, there he was, like a rash she couldn't get rid of.

Dom chuckled lowly. "Nice to see you, too, Let. My day was great. How about yours?"

"Fine, until I came home to find Mia's pet on the furniture."

"Nice." Dom stood up and took a few steps towards Letty. "Seriously, Letty. Three times in one week. I'm beginning to think you're in love with me."

"Stay here. I'll go get a knife to deflate that big head of yours." Letty's voice was indifferent as she skimmed through the envelopes in her hand.

Mia entered from the second kitchen doorway. She held two different kinds of chips under one arm and a large bowl of popcorn in the other.

"How was boxing class?" She asked.

"It was fine. Why is your brother here?"

"Standing _right _here." Dom interjected. The two women continued to ignore his presence as they carried on their conversation. They did this often. Something he had not missed.

"Movie night. You in?" Mia asked.

Letty looked at Dom, again, in disgust. "Pass. There won't be any room. Dom's huge ego takes up the whole couch."

"That ain't my ego, baby." He quipped, smirking.

Letty pointed at him, still looking at Mia. "See?"

"Oh, come on, Letty! We haven't done a family movie night in two whole years." Mia pleaded. She gave Letty her infamous puppy dog eyes.

"Mia Nicole Toretto, do _not _look at me like that!" Letty warned.

"Please?" The younger Toretto insisted.

Letty rolled her eyes, relenting. "Fine. I'll get in the shower."

"Eek! This is gonna be so fun." Mia chirped.

Letty glanced at a smug Dominic one last time before she headed towards her bedroom.

Thirty minutes later, Letty emerged from her bedroom in oversized, cargo sweatpants in a dark grey color, and a black v-neck t-shirt. Her wavy hair was still damp.

While she was showering, the rest of the guys showed up, wielding snacks and alcoholic beverages. Letty plopped on the couch and put her socked feet on the coffee table and ignored Dom, who sat on the other end. Looking over, she could see Mia giggling girlishly at something that Brian had said to her. Leon was crouched by the sixty-inch flat-screen television, and Jesse was next to him looking through Mia and Letty's enormous DVD collection.

"Ay! Where's Vince?" Letty asked to no one in particular.

As if on cue, a knock on the door sounded. Jesse, who was closest to the door, went to answer it.

"The party's here. Let's get this movie night started." Vince announced himself.

Once an agreement was made on the choice of movie, they each settled in to watch it. Mia had purposely pushed Dom to the middle of the couch, and closer to Letty, claiming that the right side was "her spot". With nothing but the dim pilot light over the stove and TV, illuminating the apartment, the scary movie was bound to be just a little scarier in the dark.

Letty did care too much for Dom's close proximity. She was uncomfortable for two reasons. First, it was extremely hard for her to remain irritated at the man with whom she had shared so many firsts. Not when his natural smell mingled with the Burberry cologne that Letty had gotten him addicted to so many years ago. And second, it had been two years! Two years since "The Big Bang". He put in an a small appearance at her birthday party each of those years. But even though his intentions were good, it just pissed Letty off because all of the attention shifted from her to him. And now, here he was, sitting on her couch. Living just across the hall.

When Dom shifted on the couch and glanced over at Letty, she decided that petty sarcasm was the way to go, no matter how childish it was.

"Small attention span?" Letty muttered to him.

Knowing Letty better than she knew herself, Dom knew the best way to piss Letty off was to ignore her and never give her a reaction.

"Thought I saw something better to look at. But I was wrong." He mumbled back.

_Or he could always just respond sarcastically._

Letty brought her hand up, her middle finger up and in plain view.

"Later." He promised.

On the opposite side of the couch, Mia smiled in the dark. It was only a matter of time before _it _started again. Brian shifted by her feet, his shoulder accidently brushing against her exposed legs. She rechecked the hem of her sundress, making sure it covered all of her sweet treats.

During the climax, and most terrifying part of the film, Mia put her hand on Brian's right shoulder, out of view from her brother. Brian reached up and squeezed it reassuringly, leaving his hand there.

Letty shifted uncomfortably during a pretty graphic sex scene. Dom cleared his throat and lifted his Corona to his lips, drinking from it. Mia clenched her legs tighter together and unknowingly squeezed Brian's shoulder a little. Brian reached for his beer as well, empyting the bottle in two gulps.

"Hey, Letty, can your leg still bend like hers?" Dom inquired.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Letty shot back. Before Dom had a chance to throw in a comeback, Vince burst his bubble.

"Okay, why don't you two just get a room and get it over with?" Vince interrupted, not turning around from his spot on the floor.

"Letty's just cranky because she lost her job." Mia blurted out.

"Mia!" Letty exclaimed.

"What? It's not like you weren't gonna tell them anyway."

It was true. At some point, Letty would have told them. It's not like it was a secret. Though, she was getting irritated at the fact that it had been nearly a week and she still hadn't found a new job. She was a damn good mechanic.

Letty stood up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. Without turning on any lights, she opened the cabinet above the sink, reached back and pulled out a bottle of Belvedere vodka. She grabbed a glass from the dishwasher and headed back to the couch. Letty poured a shot-worth of vodka into the crystal glass and took it to the head.

After the viewing of the film, everyone stood up to stretch their legs and refresh the snacks and drinks. While Vince and Leon fought over which movie to watch next, Brian and Mia sat on the couch, talking about the movie.

Letty headed to the kitchen, her head starting to feel light. The vodka was serving its purpose. When Dom entered the kitchen and leaned against the island, watching her move around, getting more chips from the cabinet.

"Letty."

"Yeah?" She answered, reaching above her to look for a different alcohol to mix with the orange juice she'd retrieved from the fridge.

Dom checked out her ass and worked his eyes up to the tease of tanned skin of her back that was now visible under her shirt.

"If you're looking for work, there's always a spot at DT's for you. You're one of the best mechanics I know. So, trust me, I'd love to have you on my team." He told her, sincerely.

Wrapping her hand around a bottle of tequila, Letty returned to the balls of her feet. She turned around and looked at Dom. The genuine expression on his face showed Letty that he was serious about his offer.

"Okay, yeah. I'll take you up on that."

"You can start Monday if you want." He said.

"Thanks." She smiled at him for the first time that night. "Tequila sunrise?"

"Lay it on me."

Back in the living room, Mia and Brian were still talking.

"I actually think they're being civil now." Mia said.

"I never thought they'd talk after "The Big Bang". I remember that being such a hard time for them."

"Yeah," agreed Mia.

The Big Bang was the expression the friends used in reference to Letty and Dom's breakup. During their separation, it was like World War III. There was a full month of Dom and Letty throwing things, yelling, shooting snide remarks back and forth, and then having breakup sex over and over again.

_Flashback (2 years ago) 2011, Los Angeles_

_A lamp crashed against the wall, shattering on the floor next to Dom's feet. If he hadn't ducked, it surely would have knocked him out, cold._

_"Pendejo!" Letty shouted in Spanish._

_"Letty, stop!" Dom yelled. "Just listen to me."_

_The Latina began ripping the sheets and pillowcases off of the bed, balling them up and wrapping them together. She left the room and headed downstairs with Dom hot on her heels._

_"Letty, what are you doing?"_

_In the backyard, Letty threw the linens into the metal trashcan and pulled a book of matches from her back pocket, cursing at him in a mix of Spanish and English._

_"Letty!"_

_She lit the match and dropped it into the can. The two watched as a heavy black smoke started to cloud and rise high above them as the linens were burned in a crackling campfire. Dom jogged to the side of the house, twisted a knob and returned dragging the live garden hose with him._

_Turning back around, Letty marched back into the house, leaving Dom to put out the fire. When he'd controlled the situation in the backyard, he took the back steps two at a time, and ran back towards his room._

_Letty was pulling her clothes off of hangers and shoving them into bags._

_"Letty, come on. Can we talk about this?" Dom asked. While she pulled more things out of drawers, Dom slowed her progress by removing articles of clothing from the already packed bags and putting them back into her dresser._

_"There is nothing to talk about. Nothing." Letty's firm voice wavered a little. She managed to stop the brim of tears that threatened to spill down her face._

_The brunette headed to the en-suite bathroom to collect her facial scrubs, makeup and toothbrush. Dom followed her into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him._

_"Letty, come on. Let's talk." He took her makeup bag out of her hand and let it fall to the floor, trying to calm the seething brunette, by pulling her flush against him._

_"No. Let me go, Dom. __**Do not **__touch me right now." She tried, unsuccessfully to push him away._

_In a few moves, Dom managed to pull both of her hands behind her back. He held them with one hand while the other hand pulled at the drawstring of Letty's sweatpants. She fought harder when the realization of what he was doing hit her. There was no way that he was getting in her pants. Still, he held her hands firmly before slipping his free hand under the spandex of her boxers. When Dom reached her love, Letty's knees buckled._

_"Stop, Dom." She breathed out, less convincingly. Try as she might, she couldn't stop her eyes from closing._

_He massaged her small bundle of nerves, sliding his fingers up and down, occasionally to coat her entire sex with her juices. Dom turned her around, against the sink and pulled her sweatpants down. It didn't take long before his basketball shorts and boxers were down to his thighs. He was rock hard and aching to be inside of her._

_Pushing up and into Letty, they both let of groans of satisfaction. Putting his hand under her chin, he pulled her head towards his chest. _

_"See? We're a perfect fit, Letty." He whispered into her ear. She moaned involuntarily. Then he began working himself in and out of her tight, little body. Gently at first. Then suddenly, she demanded him to fuck her harder. And so he did._

_Within ten minutes, they were both reaching their climax. A few more strokes and they were both sent over the edge, coming undone in unison._

_Ragged breaths and heaving chests followed. Dom still inside of Letty. His left arm wrapped around her small frame. Her head rested on his shoulder and he kissed her cheek._

_"Letty, I love you. Don't leave me."_

_She was silent for a little longer. "I thought I could change you. But... I just can't do this with you anymore."_

_Little did she know that it was all a misunderstanding. But, Dom knew that if she didn't trust him, despite his reformed ways, he had to let her go until she could._

_End of flashback_

_**Up Next: Saturday night races and Letty's starts work on Monday.**_

_**A/N #2: You guys will totally find out what REALLY happened soon enough. For now, enjoy the tease! **__*insert evil laughter here*_


	4. Cars

_**A/N: In my little world of pure imagination, Dom isn't as tough as he thinks he is. Especially with Letty. Soooooo... the flashback in this chapter was born. Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 4: Cars**_

_Saturday, 11:43PM, Los Angeles_

Letty stepped out of the driver's side of her Plymouth Road Runner and Mia stepped out of the passenger seat. Together, they breathed in the mixture of burnt rubber and exhaust smoke. A variety of loud, Tejano and hip-hop music blasted from different cars and scantily-clad women danced and mingled. Two years had passed since they'd decided to entertain themselves at the races, and even longer since either of them had partaken in a race.

Still, two years was long enough, and much had changed. Or rather, Letty had. She'd come a long way from her leather mini skirts and tight, see-through shirts. Now, it was medium-washed jeans and a white, v-neck shirt. Two, thin gold necklaces that Dominic had given her years ago, dangled around her tanned neck, falling just inside of the t-shirt. Leaning against her car, she looked around.

"So much potential." Letty said, looking over the roof of her car at Mia. "And the cars ain't bad either."

Mia playfully rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She shut the car door and walked around to stand next to Letty.

"You're sick, you know that?"

Letty tilted her head from side to side and shrugged as if to say 'maybe, maybe not'.

"Nice body work." Dom's voice commented. Letty turned to her left to see him, running a hand over the trunk of her car.

"She's for you to look at. Not to touch." Letty responded.

"Oh, yeah. The car's nice, too." He smirked.

Letty turned her head towards a crowd of dancing women so he couldn't see the small smile on her face. But it was too late; he'd seen it and he'd filed it away as further proof that Letty still loved him.

"Oh my gosh! Brian's here." Mia suddenly chirped. She pushed her hair back and patted down any fly-away strands. Before walking in his direction, Mia unecessarily smoothed her black bandage dress down.

Dom took her spot, leaning against Letty's car next to its owner. He crossed his arms, defensively, like Letty and scanned the large group of people.

"You still wear them." Dom commented.

Letty nodded in agreement, fingering the necklaces around her neck.

_Flashback, 5 years ago (2008), Los Angeles_

_Twenty-one-year-old Mia ran into the kitchen of her childhood home with a bouquet of red roses. She trimmed the stems to allow them a longer life in the crystal vase of water that she placed them in. Sitting them in the center of the dining room table, Mia quickly opened the oven and took out the two small, cornish hens. They were browned to perfection and their aroma could be smelled all throughout the house. _

_She placed the meat on separate plates and then spooned on the sides she'd made as well, before placing them on the table. Standing back to admire her work, Mia smiled before the grandfather clock chimed, warning them that nine o'clock was upon them. Her eyes widened and she lit the tall, white candles and dimmed the lights. Just as she finished, her older brother walked down the steps with Vince and Leon right behind him._

_"Mia, how does he look?"_

_Mia let out a playful wolf-whistle. "Very nice. She's gonna love it, big bro."_

_Dom stood before Mia in a pair of dark jeans and a black long-sleeved, button up shirt. He'd rolled the sleeves up to his elbows._

_"Thanks."_

_The doorbell rang once and then a knock sounded at the door._

_"Okay, that's her! You two," Mia addressed Vince and Leon, "out the back. Now." _

_She pushed them towards to kitchen. "And you," she started with Dom, "remember, there's no sex like safe sex."_

_Dom made a face before pointing towards the kitchen, silently demanding that Mia hurry out as well. He headed to the front door and exhaled before he opened it. Letty stood in front of him, lifting her head to look at his face. She smiled._

_"Hey."_

_"Hi. Come in." He held the door open, allowing her entrance. Closing the door back, he turned around and watched as Letty took in the atmosphere. The house had been cleaned from top to bottom, every miscellaneous item had found a neat place to rest. The lights were low and dinner smelled beautifully._

_"Dom?" She started, confused. "Wha-?"_

_"Happy two-year anniversary."_

_The brunette whipped around and looked at her boyfriend. "You-."_

_"Remembered? Of course."_

_Letty put her hand on his face, speechless. Dom took her hand and led her to the dining room. A permanent smile graced Letty's face. She was genuinely suprised; everything he had done was a delightful treat to her._

_"This is amazing." Letty said, sitting down as Dom held out the chair for her, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by her. _

_"Well, you're an amazing woman."_

_White wine was poured, Grace was said and the two started dinner. They conversed. Laughed. Kissed occasionally._

_"Okay, you __**have **__to tell me how you managed to get rid of Mia and the boys."_

_"It wasn't hard. I can be very intimidating." Dom replied._

_"Liar. You gave them cash, didn't you?"_

_"I gave them cash." Dom reiterated, laughing. Letty smiled at him._

_"So, how much did a night with me set you back?"_

_Dom shrugged. "Believe me, you were worth it."_

_Letty's face were starting to hurt from smiling and laughing so much. And she turned back to her plate, poking at the green beans in an attempt to hide the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks. _

_"I have something for you." His voice low._

_"I have something for you, too."_

_"Same time?"_

_Letty nodded. Together they reached for their gifts and then turned back to each other, swapping them over the table. Both had given one another long, black velvet jewelry boxes. When Letty opened her, she was pleasantly surprised to find two, thin gold necklaces lined against each other. One held a small, gold car link and the other had a small, gold cross._

_"Dom, they're beautiful. Thank you so much." She thanked him, pulling the lightweight slices of jewelry into her hands. Pushing her thick curls to one side, Letty put the necklaces on._

_Dom opened his box to find a thick, silver chain. It housed a silver cross that was home to ten, real diamonds; five down and five across._

_"I love it, Letty."_

_"Really?" She asked, sincerely happy._

_"Of couse. It's perfect."_

_Letty pushed her chair back and stood, taking the chain out of his hands. She draped it over his head and let it rest around his neck. Dom pulled her into his lap. A few heartbeats passed as the couple looked into each other's eyes._

_"Letty, I love you."_

_At that moment, Letty pressed her lips flush against his and told him, "I love you."_

_End of flashback_

"I remember the night I gave them to you." Dom told her.

A smile spread across her face. "Me too."

Letty looked over at Mia who was touching Brian's arm as the two of them laughed about some unknown subject. It was obvious that they liked each other, Letty just wanted to place a bet with someone as to how long it would take them to say it.

"So, since we're going to be working together, shouldn't we at least be civil to each other?"

"Dom, we are."

"You called me a dog. That ain't civil."

Letty turned her body to his, looking up at him. "Are you becoming sensitive in your old age, Toretto?"

Dom laughed. "I'm not old. And I'm definitely not sensitive. I'm rock solid."

"You talk a lot of game, grandpa."

"I think we both know I can prove it."

"Hmm," was all Letty said.

"So," he began, offering his hand, "friends?"

Letty looked at his hand and then back to his face. She held her hand out and shook his.

"Friends."

"Aww! Did we just witness a truce between these two?" Mia laughed. Brian stood behind her, flanking her right side.

"Well, you know, it's good karma to be nice to the elderly." Letty joked. Dom put his arm around her neck, pulling her to his side and the foursome shared a laugh.

"Okay, okay. Let's go watch some races!" Mia yelled, enthusiastically. She grabbed Letty's hand and the two led the way.

_Monday, 9:00AM, Los Angeles_

"Letty is actually on time for work? Hell just froze over." Vince joked.

"Shut up." Letty gave him a gentle punch on the shoulder before hugging him tightly. "How's business?"

"Booming. Glad we got an extra set of hands, now." He shrugged.

"Where's the boss man?" She inquired. Vince nodded towards the office before returning to the car he had been working on.

In the office, Dom was slouched at Mia's desk, going over receipts and other paperwork. His back was to her, so Letty rapped softly against the doorframe. The well-muscled Italian turned to look at the distraction leaned against the doorway. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

The black, tank top that she wore rose a slightly past her belly-button. She wore her mechanic's jumpsuit unzippened, the arms falling past her hips and down to her knees. Dark curls were pinned up in bun, though a few strands were already sticking to the side of her face and neck thanks to the morning heat.

"Where do you want me, boss?" She asked.

_How about on this desk? In the backseat of one of these cars? In that goddamn doorway_? thought Dom. He cleared his throat and willed away his oncoming erection.

Looking up at the schedule on the wall, Dom ordered her to the parking lot next door for a black Subaru SUV. He wanted her to pull it into the garage and run an inspection on it.

"If anything's wrong with it, fix it and make a note of it." He'd said.

Once she'd completed her task and tweaked a few things, Letty documented her work. She submitted it to Dom to sign off on. Mia entered the shop for a few minutes to bring everyone breakfast before she headed off to her job.

Dominic piled task after task on Letty and she finished them in record time. By closing, half of the car lot at DT's was finished. Once Vince, Leon and Jesse had gone home, Dom held Letty back for a few minutes.

"I want to show you something."

"Okay." She followed him further into the newly-expanded garage.

Pulling the white, cloth tarp off of a car, Dom revealed to Letty a magenta 1997 Nissan 240SX with goddess racer decals along the door panels. The first car that Letty had ever built from the ground up all by herself.

"Dom," breathed Letty.

"I couldn't just junk it. Needs a little work. With another set of hands, I can probably finish it in no time." He hinted.

When no response came, he just watched as Letty slowly circled the car, touching it occasionally, and waited.

"Sure. Of course I'll help." She finally said.

_**Up Next: Why Dom & Brian moved across the hall. And Brian and Mia go on a date.**_


	5. Closer

_**A/N: Not my best chapter, but bear with me, lovers. It's going to get better. Also, this chapter wasn't fully edited. I just wanted to upload it quickly and get you guys a new update. Forgive me.**_

_**Chapter 5: Closer**_

_Thursday, 7:46PM, Los Angeles_

Mia pushed open the front foor of the apartment and looked at Letty on the couch, before closing the door.

"What have you done to my brother?" She asked, accusingly.

Letty crunched another chip, lazily. "I didn't do anything to him. Why?"

"Apparently when Brian asked him if he could take me out on a date, he didn't decapitate him."

"I know."

"Wait. You know?"

Letty smirked. "Yeah. He came into the garage today with his head down and puppy dog eyes on."

"So, what I wanna know is," Mia started, plopping onto the couch next to Letty, "what the hell you did to my brother?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. All we do is work on cars. We barely talk."

"Together?" Mia asked.

"Not really. Except after work, we usually do a little work on my car."

Mia's eyes went wide and she gasped dramatically. "I knew it! You're having car sex with him!"

"What? I am not!" Letty protested.

"Oh, yes you are. You filthy little mechanic."

Letty laughed aloud at Mia's ludicrous theory. There was nothing sexual about her and Dom just working on a car.

_Right?_

_Flashback, 2 days ago, Tuesday, 5:39PM_

_The guys had cleared out of the shop as soon as five o'clock hit. Letty and Dom closed the garage door and headed to the back to start their project. They began with an assessment of what tune-ups and new parts that the car needed.. Letty decided that whatever tasks took the longest should be done first and Dom agreed._

_An hour into their work, Dom rolled from under the car and stood up, wiping his hands on a dirty cloth rag. He pulled off his shirt that was soaked with oil and sweat. Just as he was walking past Letty, she turned around and nearly bumped into him. She put her hand up to stop herself from colliding with him, only for the realization to hit her that hand was now in the center of his chest. _

_A spark of energy ran through them both and Letty resisted the urge to run her hand downwards. She quickly pulled away as if she had touched fire. _

_"S-sorry. I didn't-." Letty started._

_"Yeah, sorry. Accident." Dom finished._

_The brunette turned, hurriedly, back to the hood of the car, while Dom headed for the tool box._

_A few moments later, as they worked under the hood together, Dom stayed on one side and Letty on the other. Occassionally, they would look up at each other at the same time, wondering what the other was thinking._

_End of flashback_

Letty cleared her throat, blocking out the thoughts of Tuesday's events. "Believe me, your brother and I are not happening. Never again. Ever."

Mia dug her hand into Letty's chip bag and pulled out a handful of chips before standing up from the couch.

"Uh huh." She muttered, unconvinced. Mia started towards her bedroom before Letty hopped up.

"Ay, wait. Tell me about this date." Following Mia into her bedroom, Letty stepped up onto the large, platformed bed and made herself comfortable.

Mia was suddenly giddy and she hopped onto her bed as well. "Tomorrow night, we're going to Taylor's Steakhouse."

Letty let out a low whistle. "Pricey place. You excited?"

Mia's smiled broadened. "I really am. Letty, I really like him."

"I know. Are you going to sleep with him on the first date?"

Mia threw a pillow at her psuedo-sister. "No, man! I'm not a slut."

Catching the pillow, Letty grinned naughtily. "I'm just asking."

"Are you going to sleep with my brother on the first date?"

"Oh that's really funny, Mia. Truly hysterical." Letty deadpanned.

"Are you feeling weird now that Dom's living so close?"

"Not really. I don't feel strongly either way." Letty shrugged. "Why _did _they move into an apartment anyway? What happened to the house?"

"Well, the house is being renovated from the ground up. Apparently, there was like a really bad bout of mold and stuff in the basement."

"Wow. Are you serious?"

"Yeah. If you drive past the house now, it's just the foundation left."

Letty's eyebrows went up. "All those memories."

"Yep. All those memories." Mia repeated, nostalgically.

_Friday, 6:57PM, Los Angeles_

A knock sounded at the door and Letty headed from her bedroom to get it. On the way, she glanced into Mia's room to see the taller brunette hopping around; one heel on and one heel off.

Letty opened the door to see Brian, standing there in a suit and a single red rose in his hand.

"Classy, but you're not my type." Letty joked. She stepped aside for him to enter.

"Ha. Ha." Brian replied, sarcastically.

"You look good, bro. I'll go get Mia."

Poking her head into Mia's room, Letty announced Brian's arrival. Mia nodded, putting in her last earring. She turned to Letty for a quick appraisal of her outfit.

"Mia, you're stunning. He's gonna love you, girl."

"Thanks." She pressed her cheek against Letty's in a half-hug sort of way before leaving her room.

"No sex!" Letty whispered as the younger woman walked past her.

_Taylor's Steakhouse, 7:39PM, La Canada Flintridge_

With crescent moon-shaped booths the color of wine and amazing artwork, Taylor's Steakhouse was one of the ideal spots in Los Angeles to experience the old-school steakhouse style. Dinner was considered by both Mia and Brian as culinary masterpieces, served with an artistic flare.

A half-empty dirty martini glass sat in front of her, Mia looked to Brian who was seated on her left.

"So, how do you like working for the LAPD?"

"Well, I'm technically not working for them, yet. I've got two more weeks left of the academy."

"Is it hard?"

"It's definitely challenging, but it's gonna be worth it." Brian nodded, chuckling lightly. "That's what I keep telling myself."

"I think that's awesome."

Drinks and conversation flowed freely throughout dinner while the pair got to know each other a little better.

"I'm genuinely surprised that you and my brother are roommates."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're an aspiring cop and my brother is-."

"Not?" Brian interjected, saving Mia from calling her brother an ex-convict.

"Yeah."

"Dom's good people. That's all I care about. The past is the past, ya know?"

Mia smiled sincerely at her dinner companion. "Good answer."

"Oh, so that was a test, was it?"

Mia showcased her thumb and forefinger a few centimeters apart. "Just a little one."

_Meanwhile at Mia & Letty's apartment..._

With Mia gone, Letty was starving. Looking through the cabinets, she sighed, unwilling to pull out anything that had to be cooked on the stove or in the oven. Before long, she opted for a turkey and cheese sandwich. In the process of making her quick dinner, Letty rolled her eyes at the interrupting knock on her door.

She crossed the living room to open it, and quickly turning to head back to her sandwich, already knowing who it was.

Dom walked into their apartment, shutting the door behind him. He headed to the kitchen after Letty and stood at the island, watching Letty. The brunette glanced over at her audience.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just looking."

"Well, stop. It's weird."

Dom continued to observe Letty's sandwich-making. "Will you make me a sandwich?"

Letty stuck the butterknife back into the mayonaisse jar, and sighed. "Can't you just eat half of mine?"

"I have absolutely _no _problem eating yours." Dom insinuated.

The slight smirk that graced Letty's face turned into a prominent smile. "You're an ass."

He rounded the island and opened the fridge, retrieving a beer. Dom cracked it open and then stood by Letty's side. She was putting the finishing touches on their sandwich.

"Triangle cut?" She asked.

"You know me so well." He said, drinking from the Corona.

"Too well, I think." Letty cut the food in half and then handed him one-half of it.

Together, they exited the kitchen and plopped, lazily, onto the couch. Watching TV, sharing a beer and eating dinner together.

_Just like old times..._

_**Up Next: Mia sees Dom & Letty. / Another flashback.**_


	6. Bad Luck Beach

_**A/N: Short and edited. But next chapter will be extra long to make up for it! (: Thanks for all of the reviews, follows, favorites, etc. You guys re truly amazing! Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 6: Bad Luck Beach**_

_Friday, 11:20PM, Los Angeles_

When Mia walked into the apartment, she was greeted with the sounds of engines revving from the television. The lights throughout the place were off and the TV flashed hues of blue and green onto two sleeping figures. When Mia looked closer, she saw Dom with his feet up on the coffee table. Letty's body was petite compared to his and she was curled up against his side. Dom's right arm was wrapped protectively around Letty's side, his hand resting on her butt. Mia's sculpted eyebrows were raised. Instead of waking the pair, Mia retrieved a blanket from the hall closet and covered them before retreating to her room for the night.

Around three in the morning, Letty jolted awake from a dream in which she was falling from a cliff. She looked around, on high alert, and felt the still-sleeping Dom shift on the couch. Letty stood up and stretched her body, languidly. As she was walking past Dominic, he opened one of his eyes and peeked at her.

"Where you goin?"

"Bed." She answered, quietly.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back onto the couch. "Stay."

It was a gentle request; one that she couldn't refuse even if she tried. Instead, she wrapped the blanket around the both of them and leaned against his shoulder again, before falling back to sleep.

_Saturday, 10:00AM_

Dom and Letty awoke to the enticing aroma of breakfast. Mia was in a great mood and that meant pancakes! She'd made a variety of blueberry, chocolate chip and strawberry banana pancakes along with bacon, omelets and a fresh fruit salad. She'd even squeezed fresh orange juice to help them wash it down.

"God, I love Italian women." Letty commented, picking a fresh strawberry slice out of the salad. She had been the first off of the couch and in the kitchen, while Dom stretched and headed to the bathroom.

"Hey!" Mia said, popping Letty's hand. "You set the table _and _say grace."

"Fine."

"Dom! Breakfast!" Mia yelled.

The muscled Italian rounded the corner, smelling his hands. "Why the hell does your soap smell like flowers?"

"Jasmine and chamomile is soothing. So sit down and shut up." Mia laughed. "I'm going to get Brian."

While Mia started across the hall, Dom and Letty reached over each other making plates for themselves.

"Sleep good?" Dom asked.

Letty smiled. She bit into a piece of bacon and then spoke with her mouth full. "The next time I wake up with your hand on my ass, I'll chop it off."

Dom chuckled to himself. The two sat down next to each other at the dining room table. Letty lifted her left foot onto the chair, resting her chin upon her knee. Before she had a chance to speak, Mia and Brian entered the apartment, made themselves plates and then sat with Letty and Dom. The older woman said Grace and the foursome tucked in.

"So, how was last night?" Mia inquired.

"What happened last night?" Brian quizzed.

Letty opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the younger woman.

"Dom and Letty slept together last night." Mia told Brian. Dom choked on the orange juice he was drinking from. Patting his chest, he attempted to stop the coughing fit he'd erupted in.

"We fell asleep on the couch. That's all. Besides, _you two _were the ones with the big date. How'd _that _go?" Letty countered.

"It was really good." Brian nodded. Mia beamed and looked over at him.

"It was better than good. We had a really great time."

"You hear that, Dominic? Your baby sister had a _great _time." Letty wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't get him all work up. It was strictly PG-thirteen." Mia winked, inconspicuously, at Brian, who smiled.

With Mia's heavenly breakfast being demolished and no plans for the rest of the day, the four adults enjoyed each other's company. It wasn't long before their meal was finished, the dishes were washed and the counters were cleaned off.

After a little more conversation, Brian suggested a trip to the beach. Mia offered to call Vince, Leon and Jesse. When the specific beach and time were picked, it was settled. They'd head to the shore just after lunchtime.

_Saturday, Venice Beach, 1:44PM_

Beaming off of the waves, the sun made the ocean appear as waves of dancing crystals. The beach was crowded as per usual, but that didn't deter the group of friends from having a good time. It had been a long while since they _enjoyed _the beach as a family. Letty's twenty-fourth birthday was the last time they were together on the warm sand. And that, itself, was disastrous to say the least.

_Flashback, 2 years ago (2011), Laguna Beach_

_The sun was setting and bonfire pits along the beach were beginning to burn brightly. Vibrant hip-hop music blasted through speakers and alcohol was being passed around openly. The warm spring wind blew easily, keeping Letty's party guests cool after dancing. Mia had suggested a white party and it was one of her best ideas ever. The white clothing against the soft colors of the setting sun was beautiful; something that Letty was sure to remember forever. _

_Letty's white skinny jeans and flowy, white linen top made her tanned olive skin appear even more golden than it was. And her black hair held its natural curl, falling a few inches past her shoulders. All who were invited loved on Letty constantly; giving hugs and kisses to the short Latina, making her laugh. Mia guaranteed her the perfect birthday, despite she and Dom breaking up just three months prior. The two still hadn't spoken since then and it went without saying, that he was __**not **__to be invited._

_The familiar sound of a roaring engine, made a few of the partygoers' heads turn towards the boardwalk where a beautiful muscle car was parking. Vince, Jesse, Mia, and Hector stood with Letty in a small circle, talking about cars, oblivious to the drama that was about to unfold._

_"Dom! What's up, man?" _

_Letty heard someone yell Dominic's name and her gaze traveled to her ex-boyfriend walking cockily down to the beach._

_"What the fuck is he doing here?" Letty hissed at Mia. The younger woman shrugged and insisted that she didn't invite him._

_A few racerchasers made their way towards him. The men who actually worshipped the car god that was Dominic Toretto also swarmed. A Corona was shoved into his hand and he smiled at the gesture._

_"I'm not here for long. I'm just here to see the birthday girl. Where is she?" Dom asked no one in particular._

_The crowd parted and Letty was moved into the forefront of his eyesight. If looks could kill, he would have been dead on the spot. Letty stood there with her arms folded across her chest. _

_"There she is." He said, making his way over to her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Letty could smell more than just beer on him. From the stench of it, he'd been knocking back shots of whiskey before he got there._

_Not wanting to make a scene, Letty allowed him to invade her personal space for a hug. _

_"Happy Birthday, Letty."_

_"Thanks." She answered, clearly annoyed. When the wind pushed her angular bangs into her eyes, Dom gently moved them. Letty cleared her throat and took a step back. "What are you doing here, Dominic?"_

_"I came to see you. I haven't missed your birthday for as long as I've known you. And I'm not gonna start now."_

_His intentions were good, but Letty was still furious about why they broke up, and seeing him unexpectedly was not what she wanted at the moment. She loved him, sure, but she was just getting over him. And now, she was sure to start dreaming about Dominic Toretto, again._

_"Go home and sober up." She demanded, before walking away. _

_Dom stayed to mingle for another twenty minutes or so, not wanting to seem rude. With Letty avoiding him and feeding herself jello shots, Dom gave her one last glance before heading back to his car._

_End of flashback_

_2:39PM_

Dom found Letty on a large boulder, overlooking the waves, in a secluded area of the family beach. Letty had an outgoing spirit, but Dom always knew she was much deeper than she appeared. She could find the quietest, well-hidden places when she didn't want to be found. But Dom always found her. Always made sure she knew that she was loved. And each time, he'd start off the conversation by saying...

"There she is." He announced, walking up to her. She smiled genuinely when he climbed up and sat beside her.

"What are you thinking about?" Dom inquired.

"Nothing. Everything." She shrugged. They were silent for a few moments. "I was thinking about my birthday party on the beach. The day I turned twenty-four."

Dom inhaled sharply. "Honestly, I barely remember it."

"That's because you were drunk." Letty said, bitterly.

"I didn't mean to ruin your birthday."

"The crazy thing is, when I blew out the candles on my cake," Letty's voice softened, "you were my wish."

Dom's eyebrows went up, but he said nothing. He wanted her to keep talking. To keep sharing.

"I wished that we'd both find peace. Maybe find our way back to each other. I wished that I could forgive you for-." She stopped midsentence. Letty looked to her left, searching his face for something.

She stood up. "But that was a long time ago. Another lifetime, I guess."

Hopping off of the large rock, Letty walked to the edge of the shore, allowing the cool water to wet her feet. She wrapped her arms around herself and let the ocean breeze wash over her.

_**Up Next: Mia learns the truth about Dom and Letty's breakup. And Letty and Dom have an impromptu date.**_


	7. Truth Be Told

_**A/N: You guys seriously make me laugh out loud with your reviews! I love how anxious you all are to find out what really happened. Sooooooo, without further ado, I give you...**_

_**Chapter 7: Truth Be Told**_

In the two weeks that followed their little beach adventure, Letty and Dom had once again become distant. They associated less at work with Letty always appearing deep in thought. Dom just barked orders and stayed in the office, only coming out when his expertise was needed. The two hadn't even worked on Letty's car after shop hours. Anytime spent alone with the two ended in insults being tossed back and forth.

For the first week, Mia played referee between them. By week two, she was tired of them being childish. She had demanded that they both 'grow a set' and act like the mature adults that she knew they were capable of being. It was obvious to everyone except Dom and Letty that there was still a spark of passion left between the two of them. A spark that could quickly ignite a burning fire of disdain and resentment or a fiery flame of love and lust.

_Mia & Letty's apartment, Sunday, 5:20PM_

Mia had set the final dish onto the dining room table. She untied her waist apron and sat it on the kitchen counter. This was their first Sunday family dinner in two years; too long, according to Mia. With Brian's help, the youngest Toretto had made a few, simple Italian dishes along with two salads. She knew her boys could eat, so she made more than enough for seconds and doggie bags.

Vince, Jesse and Leon complained about waiting so long to eat, but their eyes bulged at the sight of Mia's famous homemade lasagna and spaghetti.

"Dom and Letty still aren't back yet?" Mia inquired. The five of them sat around the table, ready to start the meal.

"No. And neither of them are answering their phones." Jesse explained.

"Well, we're not waiting any longer for them. Come on, Vince, say grace." Mia commanded.

They bowed their heads, closed their eyes and held hands as Vince prayed over the food. He blessed the table, their small family and Mia's talented chef hands.

With a forkful of vegetable lasagna in his mouth, Leon questioned what was taking Dom and Letty so long.

"They probably killed each other." Leon joked.

_Meanwhile, across town, 5:23PM..._

"I swear to god, I am going to kill you!" Letty growled. They'd passed the same 'Santa Barbara Welcomes You' sign for the third time that evening.

"If you weren't yelling at me, I wouldn't have missed the exit." Dom argued back.

The two had been picking up auto parts from a shop that they'd never been to before. The rest of the team had made 'excuses' as to why they weren't able to retrieve the parts, leaving Dom and Letty to do the heavy lifting.

"I was _not _yelling at you. We were _discussing _the... situation."

"Yelling." Dom reiterated.

"Discussing." Letty snapped back. She sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. "I can't believe I got roped into doing this shit with you."

"We didn't get roped into doing anything. It was a set-up. Clearly on Mia's part."

Letty looked over at Dom to see if he was serious. "You're kidding, right?"

"She's a crafty one, my little sister." Dom's hand turned the steering wheel to the right as they coasted around a circle ramp, leading to the correct highway. "She thinks we need to talk some things out."

"That's what we were trying to do. Until you got us lost."

"We're not lost." Dom said through clenched teeth. His hand gripped the steering wheel tighter. "You're a pain in the ass, Letty. Always have been. Always will be. You know that?"

Letty simply smiled, haughtily, and looked out of the window. "Then my job here is done."

"What's the chip on your shoulder, anyway?"

"_You _are the goddamn chip on my shoulder. Okay, little chip? You and your horrible driving directions."

"It's not in our DNA to ask. How many men have you ever seen ask for directions?"

"Plenty of men, Dominic! Just like plenty of men can remain faithful to the woman that they _supposedly _love!" Letty exclaimed.

"Oh! So, now we're getting somewhere! This isn't about directions. This is about you and me. And our relationship." Dom countered.

"You made it _very _clear that what we had wasn't really a relationship." Letty muttered.

"When?!" Dom yelled. He slammed his fist against the steering column and Letty looked over to him, yet again. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, they heard a loud _POP_, and then another.

"Shit!" Dom growled and he slowly made his way towards the edge of the highway. Together they hopped out of the car and assessed the damage. Both tires on the driver's side were damaged.

_Back at Mia & Letty's apartment, 5:38PM_

"I still don't even know the reason why they broke up. I mean, they never talk about it." Leon admitted.

"All I know is the day started out good. And the morning after Mia's celebration party, World War III had started." Brian explained.

"The way Letty talks, I think she found someone in Dominic's bed." Mia gossiped.

"What?" All four men asked in unison. Mia just shrugged her shoulders.

"I could be wrong, though."

_Flashback 2 years ago (2011), Los Angeles_

_Mia had just completed her culinary classes. By ten a.m., she was officially a chef. And by ten p.m., the Toretto house had been a wild mixture of party guests, alcohol and laughter while people celebrated Mia's accomplishment. She'd always been a phenomenal cook at home and the guys were constantly telling her that she had a gift that needed to be shared with the world. And so she had started at a vocational school that catered to aspiring chefs._

_Around two in the morning, Letty had run up the steps towards the bedroom that she'd shared with Dominic, for the digital camera. This was a big celebration for someone they loved dearly and they wanted to remember every single moment._

_When she opened the door, a half-naked, busty bottled-blonde lay under Dom's covers, asleep. The black sheets that Letty had bought for the bed had been tussled, giving the bed an 'after sex' look. The door to his en-suite bathroom opened and steam from his recent shower wafted into the room. He looked shocked at the scene before him. Looking between Letty and the unnamed woman in his bed, Dom opened his mouth to speak._

_"Asshole." Letty yelled at him before heading back down the hallway. She muttered some half-ass excuse to Mia as to why she was leaving out before jogging to her car, starting the ignition and speeding away._

_End of flashback_

_6:01PM_

Vince and Leon looked at each other then back to Mia.

"Is that why they broke up?" Leon clarified.

"I'm pretty sure that's the reason."

"Fuck." Vince berated himself.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!"

"What? What's wrong?"

_Flasback 2 years ago (2011), Los Angeles_

_Around one-forty-five in the morning, Hector had gone to Vince with a stumbling blonde against his side. She was drunk and looked as if she was ready to pass out._

_"Hey, V, this is Monica and I need a place to lay her down. Can I just take her upstairs?"_

_"Of course, man. And just shut the door so no one will bother her." Vince told him, distracted. He was busy setting up the next game of beer pong._

_Hector half-carried/half-dragged the drunken woman up the steps to the first bedroom with an open door. He lay Monica in the already-crumpled sheets and tucked her in._

_"Sleep it off, mami." He said, placing a waste basket by the side of the bed. Then, he crept out of the room and closed the door._

_End of flashback_

_6:10PM_

"Oh. My-." Mia started.

"God." Brian finished for her.

"If I had known that that's what they broke up about, I would have said something sooner. But they never talked about it. Whenever we asked Dom, he just got pissed off and told us to mind our own business." Vince explained.

"Same with Letty. She just said that Dom couldn't keep it in his pants."

"So," began Jesse, "who's gonna tell them?"

_Just outside of Santa Barbara, 6:29PM_

While Dom replaced the front tire, Letty examined the back one. "Good thing you bought these run-flats." She told him.

Upon being punctured or damaged in any way, run flat tires sealed themselves with a protective gel to keep the remaining air inside and were good for a few miles.

"Yeah. Good thing." Dom mumbled as he tightened the spare tire onto the axle.

"I'd say you have about fifteen miles before you run out of air in the back. _If _you keep a steady pace." Letty told him, gently squeezing the tire.

"That's just enough to get us back to DT's." Dom thought aloud. "Mia's gonna kill us for not being at dinner."

"I wonder what we missed." Letty said.

Almost in unison, the two mechanics hopped back into Dom's car and started to head towards Los Angeles and home.

_DT's, Los Angeles, 7:44PM_

Letty sat on a counter and watched while Dom fixed the last tire on his car. She chewed at the nail on her thumb while Dom grumbled something incoherent.

"Use your outdoor voice like a big boy. The rest of the class can't hear you." Letty teased.

"I said 'I'm starving and this would go a lot faster if I had some help'."

"Yeah, well, no sense in me helping now. You're almost finished." She smirked.

"Pain in the ass."

Letty sarcastically pat herself on the back, feigning congratulations.

"Well, I'm sure Mia saved us some leftovers." She told him.

"It'll probably be cold. And then we'll have to wait for it to heat up. And I don't-."

"Like reheated food. I know. I know." Letty cut him off. She knew him too well. It was actually sickening. "You're so spoiled."

"Blame Mia."

"Oh, I do." Letty sighed. "So, we mind as well get some grub while we're out here."

"Leticia Ortiz, are you asking me out on a date?" Dom asked, wiping his hands off on a rag.

"Don't flatter yourself, Toretto." She hopped down from the counter and climbed into the car through the open window.

Twenty minutes later, the pair sat inside of _Tompkins Square Bar & Grill_. They'd ordered food and drinks. Now, they had the pleasure of sitting in complete silence until their orders were delivered.

"This is ridiculous." Dom broke the silence.

"What is?" Letty asked. She twirled her mother's ring around the middle finger on her right hand; something she did when her nerves got the best of her.

"Letty we _know _each other. And two people who know each other as well as we do shouldn't be sitting at a restaurant not speaking. So, say something."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Whatever's on your mind."

Letty chewed the inside of her cheek for a few moments before sighing. "I'm sorry about the house. Mia told me that they're redoing the entire place."

"Yeah. It's gonna be strange to go back and nothing is going to look the same."

"It's been two years since I've stepped foot in that place, but I still remember what it looks like."

"You were missed."

Letty smiled thoughtfully. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Letty."

"I know why I left. But why did you let me go?"

Dom's fingers reached for his Corona. "That's a conversation that will take longer than a thirty minute dinner."

Letty nodded her head, nonchalantly, and picked a piece of lint from her black jeans.

"So," He said, "maybe we can find some time this week to talk about it?"

"Okay. Yeah. Sounds like a plan." She assured him.

_**Up Next: Dom & Letty talk... finally. An old acquaintance pops up.**_

_**A/N #2: What'd you guys think? Juicy enough for ya? PS. I know I said this will be a three-parter (and I stick by my word). So each part will be 10 chapters. So, that's 30 chapters in all, for you lovers. Feed the writer with extra-healthy review snacks!**_


	8. Matters Of The Heart

_**A/N: Okay, this chapter practically wrote itself. *sips juice box and waits for reviews***_

_**Chapter 8: Matters Of The Heart**_

_Wednesday, Venice Beach Square, 7:34PM_

The moon had begun to force the sun away, leaving streaks of gold, orange, pink and lavender in the sky. A light, warm breeze blew occasionally and the normally crowded Venice Beach boardwalk had dwindled down to only a few passerby. While most were heading home to be with their families, Letty and Dom paced slowly down the wooden promenade. Letty slid her hands into the back pockets of her light blue jeans and looked up at her handsome walking companion.

Pushing her gold tinted aviators up, Letty allowed them to rest upon the crown of her head. There was a casual, comfortable silence that had fallen between the pair, neither knowing how to begin the necessary conversation. Instead, they looked out towards the horizon in hopes that the other would start. Taking a broad left, they found themselves leaning over a small wooden gate with their upper bodies propped up by their forearms.

"So." Letty started, clasping her hands together. A contagious smile formed on Dom's face, causing Letty to grin as well. There had never been a time when they were like this; so shy and reserved.

"So." Dom repeated.

"So, tell me why you didn't come after me." Letty blurted out. As the sun moved another yard to her left, it reflected brightly off of a metal pole, causing her to replace her sunglasses to shield her eyes.

"I couldn't, Letty. I just felt like we weren't ready to be in a relationship together."

A twinge of hurt shot through Letty's heart. She thought they'd done pretty well together.

"Oh." She said, nodding. Try as she might, Dom heard the hint of regret in her voice.

"I just mean that you couldn't trust me. That much was obvious."

"That's not true. I trusted you with my life."

"But you didn't trust me enough not to break your heart."

"But you did, Dom." She countered, softly.

"Let, I never cheated on you. But you never let me explain that. When you walked in my room that night, I was just as shocked as you were to see that woman in my bed. I had gotten in the shower and when I got out, you were standing in the doorway and there was some blonde in my bed."

_Flashback 2 years ago (2011), Los Angeles, 5:43AM_

_The morning after Mia's celebration as the party slowed to a complete stop, the house cleared out. Mia, Leon and Jesse were slouched on the couch, still confused at the night's events. Letty had told Mia that she'd stay over after the party, but she was nowhere to be found. When she asked her older brother about his girlfriend's whereabouts, he shrugged his shoulders and continued pressing buttons on his cell phone. _

_He, too, wanted to know where the hell Leticia Ortiz was. She wasn't calling him back or answering his text messages, but she hadn't shut her phone off yet, so that was a good sign. Or so he thought._

_Mia announced her sleepiness and headed up the stairs. Vince came in from the kitchen with a trashbag and told them that he'd cleaned enough for one night and that he was going to pass out in his own bed. Leon and Jesse followed suit not long after, leaving Dom sitting alone at the bottom of the stairs._

_Hector, entered from the dining room, past Dom, and started upstairs to retrieve the sleeping Monica that had gotten Dom into trouble. When he came back downstairs with his arm wrapped tightly around Monica's waist, Dom stood up to let them past._

_"Who the hell is she?" Dom asked, confused. It was clear that the woman's lolling head was still spinning from all of the alcohol she'd consumed._

_"Monica. She was too wasted to even function. So, I just put her upstairs to sleep it off. Vince said it was cool." Hector told him._

_"Shit." Dom muttered and jogged out of the house. He opened his unlocked car door, but never got the chance to slide in. The sun was barely rising, but in the dim light he spotted Letty's car pulling behind his in the driveway. She ignored his presence as she exited her vehicle in a huff, slamming the door and walked through the manicured grass, towards the front steps._

_"Letty! Letty, wait!" Dom called out to her. "Lemme explain."_

_Walking into the house, Dom figured Hector would be able to explain better than he could, only to see Hector and the woman gone._

Damn him for always parking in the back of the house!, _Dom thought._

_"Is your new girlfriend still here? Or was she just a one night stand?" Letty asked, haughtily. Her face was a mixture of anger and disgust as she headed upstairs to pack her things._

_End of flashback_

_7:50PM_

"Wow." Letty managed. She felt as if she had been walking around with her eyes closed for the past two years, and Dom finally made her open them to see the truth.

The pair found themselves resting on a wrought-iron and wooden bench. Dom was looking down as he recounted the events that led to their breakup. His shoulders were parallel to the ground, forearms resting on his thighs. Letty's back was against the cool bench and she placed her right ankle over her left knee.

"Yeah. So, it's not that I didn't want to be with you. I did. I just-. I had a past. And that made it hard for you to trust me. I can understand that. But, we couldn't be together if there was no trust."

Letty nodded in agreement. It was true. They used to be completely different people. The changes that she could see in herself and in Dominic were strange. But good.

"You're right. I couldn't trust you fully. Believe it or not, under my badass exterior, there was a little insecurity. I never thought that I would be _your _type. I mean," Letty looked up at the stars and smiled, remembering, "you were_ Dominic Toretto_. And I was just little Letty from down the block. The annoying best friend of your annoying little sister. But, when you _did _choose me, I didn't know what to do to hold on to you. Or if I even could."

Dom chuckled. "You know, you held me on such a high pedestal, but you just don't even realize that you're like... I don't know, some sort of a goddess to me." Dom admitted. Letty smiled, and lightened the mood by put her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him to the side.

"Don't go gettin' all mushy on me, Toretto." She teased.

Yet another silence fell over the pair. Admitting things was not something that Dom and Letty did easily. In the past, they had both been stubborn and hot-tempered; two traits they saved especially for the other. But it seemed that the older they got, the more trivial the little things seemed.

Letty pulled out her cell phone to check the time. "It's getting late. We should head home before Mia sends a search party for us."

They stood up and started back down the boardwalk towards to their cars. The full moon was big and bright, never to be overshadowed by the billions of twinkling stars that surrounded it. The breeze had cooled, causing Letty to cross her arms over her chest as they walked, casually, down onto the sticky tar parking lot.

Letty opened her car door and turned to look at Dom. "I'm glad we talked."

"Me too."

"Listen, uh, Mia's probably cooked or something, so, if you and Brian get hungry, you guys are more than welcome." She told him.

He nodded, thoughtfully. "Good to know."

Hopping into their respective cars, Dom and Letty turned their keys in the ignitions and pulled off, heading home.

_Mia & Letty's apartment, 8:48PM_

Letty let herself into the apartment and threw her keys into the bowl. Sliding off the navy blue cardigan she'd donned in the car, Letty was greeted by Mia, standing at the entryway of the kitchen.

"Where were you?" Mia questioned, her hands on her hips. "I almost sent out a search party.

"Uh, I was with Dominic, _mom_." Letty teased.

"And just what were you doing with him?" Mia's expression changed from concerned mom to nosy best friend immediately.

Letty shrugged. "You know, the usual. A little alcohol. A little drugs. And a _whole _lot of unprotected sex."

"Oh god, you're so funny, I forgot to laugh." Mia deadpanned. Letty laughed on her way down the hallway to her bedroom.

"Oh, there's something in your room for you." Mia yelled.

Letty's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she pushed opened her bedroom door. Gisele sat, seductively, on Letty's bed, in nothing but her bra and panties. She looked up and grinned at Letty.

"Took you long enough." Her accented voice spoke.

"Gisele." Letty said, clearing her throat. She shut her door behind her, not wanting Mia to see the half-naked woman in her bed. "Uh, wh-what are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you in almost a month. Are you avoiding me?"

"Avoiding? Uh, no, I've just been _really _busy." Letty told her. It was the truth. She _had _been busy working at the garage.

Letty crossed the room and sat at the foot of the bed, trying to figure out a way to let the gorgeous woman down as gently as possible.

"Uh, Gisele," began Letty, "you know I like you and we have a lot of fun together, but-."

Ignoring Letty's rambling, Gisele crawled to the end of Letty's bed, behind the brunette Latina, and wrapped her arms around her neck. She kissed the sensitive spot behind Letty's ear, causing her to jump up from the bed.

"Okay. I need us both to concentrate. And I can't focus when you do things like that. Got it?" Letty asked, gesturing her hands for emphasis. Gisele nodded and climbed off of the bed, walking over to her lover.

Letty put her hands of Gisele's hips, keeping her at arm's length while she spoke. "We can't do this anymore. I can't be with you right now. Or ever again. I'm sorry, but I just can't."

"I suppose next you'll tell me that there's someone else." Gisele joked, not believing Letty.

"Well, actually... I think there may be." She admitted.

As if on cue, Dom knocked once and then burst into Letty's room. "Yo, Letty, come eat with- oh, shit. Sorry. Didn't know you had... company."

He gave Gisele's body a once over. "Wow."

"Okay, _you_," Letty pointed to Dominic, "_out_. And you, Gisele, put some clothes on."

Dom grinned as he headed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Letty pushed her hair out of her face, and exhaled deeply. Gisele huffed, annoyed, and began redressing herself.

_It's like I'm running a mad house_, Letty thought as she headed out of the room. She closed the door and walked down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Brian, Dom and Mia stopped talking and looked at Letty, each donning a smug face.

"Don't. Say. A word." Letty warned as she opened the fridge to grab a Corona. Letty's bedroom door opened and Gisele walked down the hall, passing them in a rush. She didn't say a word, but it was clear from the way she slammed the front door that she was angry with Letty.

"Not a _single _word." The Latina reiterated. Her three friends laughed heartily at the situation at hand. It was apparent that they were never going to let her live this down.

_**Up Next: How Letty started dating girls, too. And a night out.**_


	9. Just So We're Clear

_**A/N: You guys asked. And here's my answer. Oh, and believe me, there's gonna be some serious Dotty happening soon. (Maybe perhaps even in this **__very __**chapter. Hint, hint. Wink, wink.) **_

_**P.S. All my true Dotty fans who have seen the deleted garage scene from the first film will understand the "you kiss good" line. (: Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 9: Just So We're Clear**_

_Dom & Brian's apartment, Saturday, 7:21PM_

Letty stood in the doorway to Dom's bedroom with a condensating beer bottle in her hand. Dom was giving her 'the grand tour' of the apartment, although the layout of his place was much like hers.

"Your bed seemed so much bigger at the old house." Letty said. She walked further into the room, sitting her Corona on the dresser by the door.

"Yeah. The room was smaller." He responded, opening a drawer and pulling out a fresh black t-shirt. Throwing it on the bed, he put his hands on either side of his shirt, about to pull it over his head but paused. He gave Letty a look.

"What? You don't have anything I haven't seen before." She told him. Dom gestured with his finger for her to turn around. She huffed, feigning annoyed, but couldn't help the smile on her face as she turned around.

"Happy?"

"Ecstatic." He replied, pulling the fresh shirt over his head. "You can turn around now."

The brunette did so and flopped onto his bed with one foot under her bum, and the other on the floor. "Why so shy, Toretto?"

Dom crossed the room to the side of the bed that Letty sat on. Leaning over, his closed fists rested on either side of Letty; their faces only inches apart.

His baritone voice caused goosebumps to arise on Letty's arms when he spoke lowly. "I wouldn't want your girlfriend to get jealous."

"Shut up." Letty used both hands to push Dom away and she laid back on his bed, looking at the ceiling. "She's not my girlfriend."

Chuckling, Dom, too, laid on his back, his gaze focused upwards. "You know, I'm still confused. When did you even start dating girls, anyway?"

"I don't date girls. I don't _date_, period." She stated, matter-of-factly.

"Well, when did you start fucking them?" He interlocked his hands and placed them under his head. Letty's fingers tapped gently on her own stomach.

_Flashback, 1 year ago (2012), Los Angeles_

_It was early August. There was an unnatural heat wave occuring, causing forest fires and city-wide blackouts. Letty had worked nights, bartending at a gentleman's club. It was good money and the girls were fun to be around. This particular Friday night, the club was being graced by a bachelor party. Rowdy, drunk guys were the best tippers._

_Along with the dry heat, Letty had been experiencing a dry spell in her love life. She hadn't had sex in the year since she and Dom broke up. It wasn't like she didn't want to; it just never happened. But, that Friday night, Letty decided that men weren't her only option. She didn't need or want to be loved; she just needed to get laid._

_The girls were working hard; dancing, mingling and drinking with the customers as an uptempo song blasted throughout the darkened place. Money in a variety of bills were lying on the floor and stages, being collected by the exotic dancers. Letty was pouring shots and cracking open beer bottles for the loud men, and even drinking with them when they offered to buy her a shot._

_Just then, Snow stood in front of Letty, leaning over the bar, her breasts further stretching the already-taut material of her bikini top. It was no secret to anyone that Snow, the only Italian woman in the club, was a lesbian and had her sights set on the Latina bartender. She flirted with Letty every chance she got._

_"What can I get for you, mama?" Letty asked the tattoed woman._

_Snow's sweet voice mingled with the thumping bass, making it hard for Letty to hear her. "Surprise me."_

_"You want something sweet?"_

_Snow winked at her. "Damn right. As long as it's strong, too."_

_Letty smirked and started by grabbing a few bottles from their glass shelves. She topped the blood orange margarita off with a fresh lime slice and salt around the rim. Sliding it to Snow, Letty took her drink ticket, throwing it in the cash register._

_"There. That should knock you on your ass."_

_"Thanks."_

_The next few hours consisted of taking pictures for or with the patrons and serving recipes that she would never personally drink herself. When the house DJ announced Snow's next rotation songs, Letty found herself staring at the stage while the gorgeous Sicilian woman danced seductively. Snow's dark brown eyes found Letty's. Suddenly the Latina's vision tunneled and all she could see was Snow's body grinding against the black, metal pole._

_Leaving her post behind the bar for a split second, Letty walked to the stage, pulled a wad of cash from her back pocket and peeled off a twenty-dollar bill. Snow sashayed over to Letty and turned around. Her body folded over, her perfect behind in Letty's face, and she looked at the shorter brunette between her own legs. Letty tucked the twenty in Snow's g-string and gave the dancer a nice, firm smack on the ass._

_A little after closing time, a very tipsy Letty found Snow in the dressing room. She looked different with her PINK sweatpants on and her hair in a bun. Still gorgeous._

_"You ready?" Letty asked._

_"For what?"_

_"Me to take you home." Letty suggested, nonchalantly. Shock flashed over Snow's face and disappeared as quickly as it had come._

_"My home or your home?" Snow teased._

_"Mine." Letty countered. _

_Snow's breath caught in her throat as realization hit her. She grabbed her neon pink gym bag and bottle of water from her changing station. "Ready."_

_End of flashback_

_7:55PM_

Dom turned his head to the right to look at Letty. "So you brought her back to your apartment?"

"Yep."

"And did Mia see her?"

"Yep."

"And what did she say?"

"She said 'good morning' and 'are you hungry?'." Letty shrugged.

Dom scratched the bridge of his nose. "Wow."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just... Mia never told me about that."

"Probably because it was none of your business." Letty rolled onto her side, facing him, and propped her head up on her hand.

"You were only with Snow and Gisele since then?"

"Why don't you ask me what you _really _wanna ask me?" She smirked.

"My dad always said 'never ask questions that you don't wanna know the answer to'."

"No." Letty said, simply, her voice soft.

"No what?"

"No, I haven't slept with any other guys since you."

Dom looked into Letty's eyes and smiled, his nonverbal relief apparent. She smiled back.

"Shut up." She teased, before standing up. "Come on, let's go to a bar or something."

Letty held out her hand to him. He grasped her hand, dramatically pretending that he couldn't get up. Letty laughed out loud, pulling with all of her might to get him off of the bed. Instead, Dom yanked her arm, making her petite body fall onto his. Abruptly, their laughter ceased and Letty found Dom's hands on her hips.

"Dom." Letty's voice held a warning tone.

Lowly, he inquired, feigning innocence, "What?"

Her eyes fell to his lips and then back up to his eyes. Slowly. Cautiously. With an air of familiarity hanging around them, they both angled their heads in, closing the centimeters' distance between them.

Their mouths touched. Their eyes closed. Their lips parted and their tongues met. Dom's hands trailed their way from Letty's hips to the top of her butt and downwards. While the ferocity of the kiss intensified, both of his hands gripped the soft pillows that made up Letty's ass. The lightest, sweetest moan he'd ever heard escaped from the back of her throat.

"Mm-mm. No." Letty breathed, pulling away. She pushed up, attempting to rise from the bed. Standing up, she put her hand on her forehead. Her chest rose and fell quickly, rhythmically.

Dom sat up and reached for her, but she pulled her hand away before he could.

"Letty." Dom started.

"I just got over you, Dom. We can't just pick up where we left off."

"I don't want to pick up where we left off. We left off in a bad place. I want us to start fresh."

Letty was pacing his floor with her hands on her hips. "Well, then we have to earn each other's affections again. We can't just start fresh by jumping into bed with one another."

Dom nodded his head in agreement as he watched her pace. Silence fell over them with Letty still pacing.

"You still kiss good." Dom smiled, lightening the mood.

"Shut up." Letty repeated.

"So, we're starting fresh?"

Letty stopped pacing and looked at Dom for a few heartbeats before moving to stand in front of him. She held her hand out and waited for him to shake it.

When he did, she spoke. "Hey. I'm Letty. I live just across the hall."

"You're kidding me, right?"

Letty shot him a look.

"Not kidding. Got it." He sighed.

He stood up and stretched a little. "Nice to meet you, Letty. I'm Dom."

"Nice to meet you, too, Dom. Wanna go get a drink?"

"Isn't that my line?"

"Dude, it's the twenty-first century." Letty laughed. "Now, come on, Toretto, because I could definitely use a drink."

"Me too. Especially if I won't be getting any for the next three years." Dom retorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's how long it took you to give up the goods, Letty. Three whole years."

"If I recall, two of those years were what some might consider... a long distance relationship." She countered.

"Touché."

_Outpost, Los Angeles, 9:29PM_

The sports bar was crowded. Not 'bump me and you die' crowded. There was just enough room to maneuver, dance, find a seat and have a good time. The signature fireplace in the center of the bar blazed, but the bar patrons couldn't feel it because of the central air blowing openly. Music played loudly, ice tinkled in glasses and people laughed.

Dom and Letty sat at a two-person table across from each other, surveying their surroundings. Letty spotted a couple who looked like they were arguing. She began to make up a scenario as to why they were fighting.

"You didn't buy me the right shoes. I said _charcoal _pumps, not _black _wedges." Letty mocked in a whiny voice.

The man across the room put his drink down and turned to his supposed lover. Dom laughed and played along, giving the guy an idiotic voice. "It's the thought that counts, right?"

Letty tossed her head back in laughter and Dom drank in her beauty.

"Man, I still can't believe we live in LA. Everyone's so superficial." Letty chuckled, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I hear you." Dom stated. "But, even the superficial ones get insecure. It's all about looking past all of the bullshit to find the good in someone."

"Who do you know that actually takes the time to do that?"

Dom's response was to just looked in her eyes and drank from his beer. A subtle smile crinkled his eyes and Letty leaned back in her chair with an eyebrow raised. He didn't have to say. She knew the answer.

Breaking their connection, a great song came on and Letty's eyes widened. "I love this one. Come on. Dance with me."

Letty dragged Dom to the center of the bar where people were dancing and drinking, feeling the music with their bodies instead of their minds. The two danced front-to-front with a few inches of space between them until a tipsy woman stumbled backwards and pushed Letty into Dom's arms.

The brunette pushed her hair out of her face and looked up at Dom's face. With one hand pressed against her lower back, Dom held Letty's torso to his while they danced the night away.

_**Up Next: Working vs. Working **__it__**.**_


	10. A Helping Hand

_**A/N: The end of this chapter is NSFW. And, I'm only half sorry that this chapter is so long. (: But you've all successfully made it to the end of Part I. Chapter 11 will start Part II. Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 10: A Helping Hand**_

_Tuesday, July, DT's Auto Shop, Los Angeles, 2:19PM_

"And I was just standing there butt-ass naked with this fucking feather duster in my hand." Vince finished his story.

The team laughed hysterically at his latest antics. The day had was flying past and before they knew it, the Thai delivery guy had arrived. Sitting around the garage, eating and conversing; it was a much needed break.

Letty hopped off of the hood of the car she'd been eating on. Pulling her ringing cell phone out of the cargo pocket on her pants, Letty was confused at the blocked number.

"Yo." She answered. "Yeah... What?!... No, I'm on my way. I'm on my way!"

Letty shoved her phone back into her pocket and rushed around the garage in a panic. "Where the hell are my keys?" She yelled at no one in particular.

"Letty, calm down. What's wrong?" Dom asked, sitting down his food container.

"I need my damn car keys."

He stood up and grabbed Letty's arm as she rushed past him. "Hey. Hey, talk to me. What's going on?"

"That was a nurse from Mercy West. My mom's in emergency surgery. And I can't find my _goddamn _keys."

When Dom saw tears begin to brim in Letty's eyes, he couldn't handle it. "Come on. I'm taking you. You shouldn't be driving right now." He turned to his team. "Vince, lock up?"

"Yeah, of course. Don't worry about anything. Just go." Each hugged Letty and assured her that everything was going to be okay.

Together, the two walked out of the garage, heading towards Dom's Chevelle. Letty climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door. She used her fingertips to squeeze her eyes, wiping away tears before they spilled down her face. Dom started the car, pulling smoothly out of the parking spot. Flying down the street, he pulled Letty's hand from her lap and rested it upon the center console, and interlocked his fingers with hers.

"She's a fighter, Letty. She'll be alright."

_Flashback 10 years ago (2003), Los Angeles, early-June_

_"Did anyone do the reading last night? Anyone? Mia?"_

_The entire class was silent, most students avoiding the teacher's gaze. Not a single hand was raised. No one wanted to be called on. They just wanted to sit in the class, texting or studying for another subject, for the next forty-seven minutes._

_Mia stopped doodling hearts in the corner of her notebook long enough to look up at her literature teacher and confirm that she, in fact, had not read the assigned chapters. Letty chuckled, shook her head, and continued writing _VANDALISM IS WRONG_ on her desk._

_"Letty? Is there something you wanted to add?" _

_"Yeah, uh-."_

_Before a sarcastic remark could escape Letty's lips, a knock on the classroom door made everyone's head turn._

_"Saved by the knock." Mia muttered, bumping fists with Letty._

_A security guard walked into the classroom and handed her a slip of paper._

_"Letty Ortiz, apparently there is a family emergency. You're wanted in the main office."_

_Letty looked quizzically at Mia, who simply shrugged. "What the hell?"_

_"Text me when you figure out what's going on."_

_"I will."_

_Letty grabbed her favorite pen and her backpack, swinging it over one shoulder as she headed out of the classroom with the security guard._

_In the main office, Letty was greeted by her mother. She hugged Letty tightly with tears in her eyes._

_"Ma, what's wrong?" Letty looked around, embarrassed by the office staff staring at her mother's affections._

_Lana Ortiz sniffled and wiped her nose with the crumpled tissue in her hand. "It's your father. He's had a heart attack."_

_"My father died when I was a baby. That pathetic excuse for a man that you married is _not _my father." Letty hissed, keeping her voice down. She looked around again and pulled her mother out into the hallway. Classes were still in session and the hallways were a ghost town. Nothing but silence._

_"Letty, you can be so mean sometimes."_

_Letty sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Is he alive?"_

_"No." Her mother's sobs shook her upper body uncontrollably before she pulled Letty in for another embrace. Half-heartedly, Letty patted her mother's back. She knew her mom loved Marco. But she didn't. And she wouldn't pretend otherwise. The only thing she could do was be there for her mom._

_End of flashback_

_3:26PM, Mercy West Hospital_

Standing at the admittance station, Letty cleared her throat loudly to get a nurse's attention. The redhead looked up from her computer, obviously annoyed with the interruption. She popped her gum in the side of her mouth.

"Hi. I'm looking for Lana Ortiz. She was admitted for emergency surgery." Letty explained.

"And you are?"

Letty took a deep breath. Snapping on the woman now wouldn't get her any information. "Her daughter, Leticia Ortiz."

Dom smirked. He knew Letty hated her full name; she rarely ever introduced herself as 'Leticia'.

Turning back to her computer, the redheaded nurse clacked away on the computer searching for Lana's room information.

"Your mom's just gotten out of surgery. She's in the intensive care unit." She offered.

"And where's that?" Letty's irritation was apparent. If the woman would just give all of the information at once, Letty wouldn't have to play twenty-one questions with her.

She sighed, exasperated. "Third floor. You'll need to check in with the nurse's station up there to find out what room she's in."

"Thanks." Letty said. Turning around, she muttered under her breath. "Bitch."

"Letty." Dom warned as the pair headed to the elevators.

On the third floor, the nurses at the reception desk were much sweeter. The blonde that Letty and Dom spoke to found her mother's file immediately.

"She's in room three, two doors down as soon as you turn the corner. There's a strick family only policy in the ICU." She looked to Dom. "I know she's Ms. Ortiz's daughter, but-."

"I'm her son-in-law." Dom interjected.

The blonde nurse quickly perked up again. "Oh, that's so sweet of you to come with your wife! Go right in. She needs her rest, though, so keep your voices down."

"Will do. Thank you." Dom added. He pulled Letty's hand towards her mother's hospital room.

"Your wife, huh?" Letty smirked.

"Shut up."

Walking into her mother's room, Letty's voice caught in her throat. This wasn't the woman that she remembered. She was still beautiful, but there were bags under her eyes and it looked as if she had cut her long, dark hair into an assymetrical bob. Lying in the bed, there was an IV in her left hand and the machines around were beeping rhythmically.

"_Mami_." Letty breathed. She moved to stand by her mother's side. Picking up her mother's right hand, Letty kissed it, gently. Dom stepped further into the room, finding a seat in a spare chair by a window. He watched Letty's interaction with her mom. It was the most vulnerable he'd seen her in a long time.

"Leticia?" A soft voice inquired. Letty turned around to look at the intruder in the doorway. A short, blonde doctor stood with her hands in her labcoat. Dom stood up and walked to Letty's side, placing his hand, protectively on her lower back.

"Dr. Victoria Torelli." She introduced herself, shaking Letty's hand.

"Letty, please." The Latina replied, holding her hand out. "And this is Dom Toretto."

Dr. Torelli shook Dom's hand, greeting him with a basic Italian phrase. "Ah, _piacere di conoscerti_." (_Pleasure to meet you_.)

"_Il piacere e tutto mio_." He responded. (_Pleasure is all mine_.)

"So, how's she doing?" Letty asked.

"The surgery was a success. She had a half-inch rupture in her appendix. When she arrived, she was rushed to an OR and we were able to remove it without a problem. We'll want to keep her for about two days to minimize the possibility of infection or stitch splitting. She made us promise to call you immediately, and I'm glad you were able to make it so quickly." Dr. Torelli explained.

"Thanks for calling me. Uh, how long will she be asleep?"

"She should be awake in an hour or two. There's a cafeteria on the first floor and vending machines down the hall to your left. Page me if you need anything." Dr. Torelli looked specifically at Dom.

When she was gone, Letty looked up at Dom who's facial expression read confusion. He shook his head and kissed the crown of Letty's curls, her dark hair tickling his nose.

_5:31PM, Mercy West Hospital_

"Letty?" Lana's voice was groggy. Her throat was dry and she was light-headed, but she was over the moon happy to see her only child.

Letty stood up and quickly made her way to her mother's bedside. "Hi, Ma. How are you feeling?"

"_Necissito agua, por favor_." She confessed. (_I need water, please_.)

Dom poured ice water into the pink plastic cup the nurses had set out. Walking to the opposite side of her bed, he helped Letty prop her mother up. Lana's eyes squinted.

"Dominic Nero Vincenzo Toretto." Lana started. Letty snorted her laughter. It was no secret that her mom was never a fan of Dom. When he deflowered her one and only daughter, he went from 'that sweet boy who loved cars' to 'the _pendejo _that took Letty's innocence'.

"Ms. Ortiz. Always a pleasure."

She drank from the cup of water he offered. "Hmm. I wish I could say the same."

"Ma, be nice to him." Letty told her. "Dom brought me here, _mami_. He wanted to make sure you were okay."

Lana patted Dom's hand, gingerly. Dom was a nice boy. He had a few hard knocks, but he made himself a nice business and was a family man. Still, Lana wasn't so quick to forgive his indisrections with her child.

Fifteen minutes later, Dr. Torelli had checked Lana's stats, cleaned and rebandaged her incision with the help of a nurse, and left them alone again. And the next three hours sailed by with Lana's recanting embarrassing tales of Letty's childhood.

"All I'm saying is that in my day, a girl became a woman with her husband on her wedding night." Lana shrugged, nonchalantly.

"_Ay, Dios_. Ma, stop. We are _not _having this discussion."

"What? You're too grown to talk about sex with your mama?" Lana questioned.

"_Yes_. Yes, Ma. It's weird."

Dom chuckled as he flicked through the crap television stations. Every ounce of him wanted to remind her that it took two to tango, but he knew better than to argue with women, especially a mother and daughter.

"Oooh, Letty, I just rescued a puppy from a shelter. He's so sweet but he's never been alone for longer than a few hours."

"Well, we're going to swing past your house to get you some clothes, so we'll check on him."

"No, Letty. You have to stay there with him. He needs to be around people."

"Ma." Letty sighed, exasperated. She closed her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, Lana was looking at her with big, hazel eyes. "Ugh. Fine. _Me quedar__é__ con tu perro_." _(I will stay with your dog_.)

Lana smiled graciously at Letty. "You're my favorite daughter."

Letty laughed. She leaned over and kissed her mother's forehead. "I'm your only daughter. You have no choice."

"Dominic." Lana's sweet voice became commanding.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You stay with her tonight, young man." She gestured for him to move closer. When he did, she put her hands on his face, kissing both of his cheeks. "But you keep your hands off of her."

"Yes, ma'am. You just get some rest." He told her.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you kids." Letty tapped her morphine drip twice, before kissing her mother's forehead.

"I love you, Ma."

_Lana Ortiz's house, Los Angeles, 9:52PM_

Unlocking the door to her mother's house, Letty and Dom were greeted by a blue-nosed pitbull puppy. He wagged his tail and barked happily.

"You're cute." She picked him up while Dom shut and locked the door behind them. He headed into the den, too lazy to turn on the lights, before turning on the TV to check the sports scores.

After feeding the dog, Letty headed upstairs, stopping in her tracks when she saw her mom's bedroom door was open. She entered and turned on the floor lamp by the door. Surprisingly, the light illuminated majority of the large room.

Lana's bed was made, there were fresh vacuum marks on the tan carpet, and the room smelled vaguely of her mom's floral perfume. Amongst the jewelry boxes, perfume bottles and loose change, Letty found an old birthday card that she'd given her mother. Her handwriting confirmed that Letty must have been in elementary school when she'd signed it. Letty smiled. A wave of nostalgia washed over her and she started out of the room and down the steps to show Dom her treasure.

In the den, Dominic hadn't moved from his seat on the couch and he paid Letty no mind when she entered the room. Clearing her throat loudly, Dom raised his eyebrows in question, but never glanced her way. She stood in front of the television, and he moved his head to the side, trying to see around her.

"Let, come on, I can't see."

Letty crossed the room and stood in front of him. "What you gonna do? Oh no, you're gonna miss the game. Who won? No one knows."

"Get over here." He growled playfully, pulling her towards him. She laughed, heartily, and without thinking, Letty straddled his lap.

"Look what I found. My mom kept it all these years."

Dom took the card from her and skimmed its contents. "She loves you."

"Yeah." Letty pulled the card out of his grasp and sat it on the table next to the couch. Her voice softened, "Hey. Thanks for coming with me today. I was going out of my mind."

"Of course." His hands fell, instinctively, to Letty's hips. She angled in, placed her hands on either side of his face. Before her lips touched his, Dom reminded her, "Your mom said we have to keep our hands to ourselves."

With her face still only centimeters from his, Letty removed her hands from his face. And then she removed his hands from her waist before their lips touched. From sweet to rough, it was a challenge for both of them to refrain from using their hands. Smiling into the kiss, Letty uncharacteristically giggled her victory when Dom's hands settled onto her ass.

"You lose."

Dom stood up and placed Letty on the couch. Kneeling in front of her, Dom unbottoned and unzipped her jeans in the blink of an eye.

"Dom," warned Letty, grabbing at his hands to stop him, but it was too late. He was already pulling them off. Dom spread her legs and rested them on his shoulders.

"Shh. Stop." He replied, moving her hand. "Let me love you."

Dom looked into her eyes as he pulled her closer to the edge of the couch. When he lowered his head between her thighs, Letty gasped. And when his tongue found her core, her eyes closed and her back arched slightly. He dove deeper, licking up and down her wet pussy before pulling her clit into his mouth, sucking loudly.

"Hunnhh! Fuck!" Letty groaned. Her right hand found the crown of his head, pushing him further against her. Dom gripped her thighs so tightly, Letty knew there would be an imprint for a few days. But she didn't care.

The only thing she cared about at the moment was the finger that Dom was pushing inside of her. Followed by another. And then another.

"Oh god!" Was all she managed when Dom stroked his fingers in and out as fast as he could. Sucking, licking, flicking and gently biting her clit, he took his brunette lover to paradise. Replacing his tongue with fingers, he played with her clit and shoved his tongue as deep as he could within her wet core. Letty's juices drenched his mouth and chin, but Dom wanted more of the creamy liquid.

"Ohmygo-! Dom! Please... don't... stop." She moaned. With one hand pushing his head deeper, Letty's other hand dug into the couch. Her back arched and her hair fanned out. And Dom knew she was close when her muscles clenched around his tongue. Her hips bucked against his face and her left hand scratched at his back so hard, she drew blood.

"Uunnnhhh! Shitshitshitshit!" Letty moaned. Her body erupted, sending her over the edge into a euphoria. Still on the floor in front of Letty, Dom kissed up her shaking body, resting his head on her stomach.

"Letty, I don't want you with anyone else."

Her breathing slowed. And her eyes brimmed with tears. Her voice got caught in her throat so she simply nodded, sniffling. "Okay."

_**Up Next: Things get hotter. Things get heavier. Things get... well, you'll see! (:**_


	11. Part II -- Know-It-Alls

_**A/N: Okay, lovers, you guys have made it to part 2. *cheers* That being said, I advise you guys to remember that this is a **__romance/angst __**fanfic. There will be lots more ups and downs in the next 20 chapters. (: So, enjoy the wild ride!**_

_**Part II**_

_**Chapter 11: Know-It-Alls**_

_Wednesday, Mercy West Hospital, 10:03AM_

Knocking on the door of Lana's hospital room, Letty stood next to Dom, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. They were her mother's favorite and the house had always been filled with them when she was younger. Sunflowers could brighten up even the darkest days; symbolizing faith, healing and longevity.

"Come in. Come in." Her mother gestured them into the room with her hand. Both Letty and Dom kissed Lana's cheeks, and handed her the flowers. Her smile broadened at the gesture, feeling better already. "They're beautiful, _mi'ja_. My favorite, thank you."

"_De nada_. How are you feeling today?"

"I hate hospitals. It's just an excuse for strangers to see you with your ass out."

"Ma!" Letty laughed. "Nobody wants to see your ass."

"I beg your pardon! I'm still young and fit, thank you very much."

Letty put her hands up in surrender. "Alright. On that note, we have to go home and change and then I'll be back to spend the day with you."

"_Tonterías_." Her mother hushed her. (_Nonsense_.) "Go change and then go to work. It will be boring here. This morphine makes me sleep all day. And then I'll be watching _novelas_."

"_Novelas_?" Dom asked.

"The stories." Letty tilted her head side-to-side, trying to find the right words to describe them. "They're like Spanish soap operas."

Dom nodded his head, understanding.

"Fine, _mami_. But I'll be back right after work to check on you." Letty looked at Lana. "Okay?"

"That's fine."

"_Estás seguro que estarás bien_?" Letty questioned. (_Are you sure you'll be okay?_)

Feeling his eyes on her, Letty looked up at Dom. "What?" She asked him.

"Nothing. I just-. Will you teach me Spanish?" He grinned.

It was clear that that was Dom's way of saying that he loved when she spoke Spanish. Something that could turn him on in a heartbeat. And Letty knew as much.

The two held the other's gaze for a few moments, a smile crinkling Dom's eyes. And Letty's mouth curved in a side smirk. Lana looked back and forth between the pair, suspiciously. Clearing her throat and looking back down at her mother, Letty felt like she was nineteen all over again.

_Flashback, 7 years ago (2006), late-August, Los Angeles_

_It had been nearly two months since Letty had actually seen her mother. Sure, she'd spoken with her on the phone and shot her a text every now and then, but she hadn't been in her mother's presence since about a month before Dom had come home. To add insult to injury, her mother still lived in the same neighborhood, same house... same street as Letty. _

_And since Dom had come home, Letty had been wrapped up in a mixture of cars and Dom's bedsheets, only giving up both when it was an absolute must. So, it was indeed time to see her. She invited Lana to a barbeque one Sunday afternoon._

_Guests floated around the backyard, eating and conversing. Tejano music played. And the food was plentiful. Lana spotted Letty before her daughter noticed her. Letty was by the grill, standing next to Dominic Toretto, their backs to her. They were sharing a private joke, it appeared. And Dom reached up and gently rubbed the back of her neck. Letty leaned against him for a moment, her hand grabbing the bottom hem of the Italian's tank top shirt. _

_Lana's eyebrows raised in suspicion. But it wasn't until Dom's large hand trailed down Letty's back and lightly squeezed her ass, that Lana was completely sure that her daughter was no longer a virgin. It was the intimacy that they shared that really gave it away. Their relationship had changed in a major way; that much was certain._

_Crossing the grassy lawn, Lana made her presence known by clearing her throat. When the couple turned around, Letty smiled, sincerely, and hugged her mother._

_"Hey, Ma. I'm glad you could make it."_

_"Mrs. O, how are you?" Dom asked._

_One of Lana's perfectly sculpted eyebrows went up, and she forced a smile. "Dominic."_

_Confusion flashed across Letty's face. "Ma, estas bien?" (Are you okay?)_

_"Yes."_

_"Okay," Letty started skeptically, "are you hungry?"_

_"I could eat."_

_"Alright. Let's get you some grub." Placing her hand on Lana's back, they started towards the food._

_Once Letty and Lana made plates, the mother and daughter sat down at the wooden picnic table to get some time together._

_"When did you start drinking beer?" Lana asked._

_"Oh, uh, not too long ago." Letty lied._

_"Mhm. Was that Dominic's influence?"_

_"No, it wasn't. And speaking of Dom, what's with the cold shoulder you gave him just now?"_

_Lana poked at the potato salad and then sat her fork down. Turning to Letty, Lana sighed. "Are you two... sexually active?"_

_"Oh, God. This is _not _a conversation that we're having."_

_"Yes or no, Letty."_

_"It's none of your business, Ma."_

_"That's a yes, then." Lana assumed. Letty put down her fork as well. "Are you at least protecting yourself?"_

_"Ma!" Letty exclaimed, exasperated with the older woman._

_"Letty!"_

_It wasn't that Lana was being nosey; she was just being a mom. She wanted Letty to save herself for the right one. Little did she know that, to Letty, Dom always was and always would be the right one._

_"You just be careful. And respect your body. And never let Dominic disrespect your body."_

_"Yeah, yeah. I got it, Mom."_

_End of flashback_

Lana knew. She was no fool. Looking at the way the two kept glancing at each other every now and then, it was obvious. Apparently, her warning to Dom about keeping his hands to himself didn't work. But, Letty appeared happy. And that's all she ever wanted.

"Dominic." Lana said.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Marry her." She smiled.

Dom's eyebrows raised and he looked at Letty for help.

"Careful, Ma, your morphine is talking." Letty teased. She kissed Lana's forehead in farewell. "I'll be back soon."

_Mia & Letty's apartment, 10:43AM_

Mia was sitting cross-legged on the couch. She muted the television when she saw Letty walk in.

"Hey. How's Lana?" She asked, worried.

"She looks pretty good. I think she's driving the nurses insane, though."

"Sounds like your mother." Mia smiled.

"Yeah." Letty threw her keys down and yawned. "Hey, sorry I didn't call to let you know what was going on. Vince fill you in?"

"Jesse," confirmed Mia. "Did you stay in the hospital last night?"

"Ugh, no. She got a new dog, and didn't want to leave him alone, so I stayed at her house and Dom stayed with me."

Mia nodded. "That was nice of him."

Smiling, Letty walked past the couch on her way to her bedroom to shower, and answered thoughtfully. "Yeah, it was."

Mia's eyes widened. She gasped and turned around on the couch to see Letty, who'd stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Letty asked, turning back around.

Mia pointed at Letty and jumped over the back of the couch. "Oh my god! You slept with my brother!"

Now, it was Letty's eyes who widened slightly and she scoffed, dismissively. "What? I did not!"

Standing directly in front of Letty, her finger still pointing accusingly. "Swear on your precious Road Runner that you did _not _sleep with Dom."

_Dom & Brian's apartment, 10:44AM_

Brian stood at the breakfast bar, finishing up the last of his cereal and flipping through the newspaper. He turned around when he heard Dom come in.

"Hey, bro. Everything all right?" He asked.

"Yeah, man. Letty's mom got rushed to the hospital yesterday."

"Damn. How is she?"

"She's doing pretty good. They've got her on a morphine drip for the pain. But she should be out tomorrow."

"That's good. How's Letty?"

Dom smiled and started to pour himself a bowl of cereal. "She's happy. You know, her mom's okay and she got to stay at her old house last night."

Brian's head raised slowly in realization. He chuckled lightly and tapped his hand against the counter. "Shit, man. You totally hit it, bro!"

Dom shook his head and laughed. "Nah, I didn't."

Brian stood up, and crossed his arms, slightly offended that Dom would blatantly lie to him. "Bullshit. Swear on Mia that you didn't sleep with her."

_Mia & Letty's apartment, 10:50AM_

"I call bullshit, Letty!" Mia had followed Letty into the master bedroom. "I know you. And I know my brother. You're far too... _calm_."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"You know, you're calm. Tranquil. At peace. Like a woman after she's had a _reeaally _good orgasm."

Letty pulled a vintage rock band t-shirt from her drawer and slammed it shut. Turning to look at Mia, she rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mia gasped, theatrically as she followed Letty towards the bathroom. "That's _exactly _what people say when they're hiding something."

Walking into her en-suite bathroom, Letty yelled over her shoulder, "I'm showering now."

"Just what people do after they've had sex." Mia shouted back as the door closed in her face. She laughed to herself. Something was going on and she was definitely going to find out.

_Dom & Brian's apartment, 10:53AM_

"You really expect me to believe that _you and Letty _stayed in a house all by yourselves and _nothing _happened?" Brian interrogated. He was two days away from graduating police academy. Dom had to give him some credit.

"I said I didn't we didn't have sex." Dom reaffirmed.

"So, something _did _happen."

"I'm gonna take a shower. Don't you have somewhere to be?" Dom asked.

"Fine, bro. Deny it all you want. But it goes Bro Code rule number sixty-nine."

"What?!" Dom laughed.

"You know, 'thou shalt spilleth thy sexual escapades to a fellow bro. _Especially _if it was with an ex'." Brian told him. "And _especially _if it was with _Letty_, bro!"

Dom simply looked at Brian, and shook his head, heading down the hall to his bedroom. "Stupidest thing I've ever heard."

_**Up Next: Letty's conflicted. Dom reassures her. Beginning of a mini-vacation.**_


	12. Like Nocturnal Bunnies

_**A/N: Okay, firstly, you guys are fucking awesome! I love the hilarious and sweet reviews you guys leave! It really makes my heart happy. Second, even though this chapter is going up on very late on Sunday night, I want to wish all of my queens a Happy [Almost-Belated] Mother's Day. 333**_

_**Finally, this chapter was inspired by a chapter 10 review from [Firefly-class], who pointed out that you can't hold a person accountable to their words during or after sex. (;**_

_**And on that note, this isn't edited, but enjoy! (:**_

_**Chapter 12: Like Nocturnal Bunnies**_

_Dom & Brian's apartment, Thursday, 8:32PM_

Vince, Leon and Jesse let themselves into the unlocked apartment in their usual rowdy fashion.

"We come bearing booze and the promise of a great time." Leon announced, loudly.

Brian entered the living room pulling a shirt over his head, laughing. "The hell are you guys doing here?"

"Aw, man, come on, there's a reason to celebrate and that's what we came to do." Jesse replied.

"Yeah, you are officially an officer for the LAPD, brother." Vince said, patting Brian's back and shoving a six pack into his arms. "And for us, that means no more parking tickets."

"No more traffic violations." Leon agreed, nodding his head.

"And no more DUIs." Jesse added, absentmindedly. The room got quiet, the other three men shaking their heads at Jesse.

"You guys are idiots." Brian chuckled.

"Anyway, bro, congrats! We need to go out tonight. What's the plan?" Leon suggested.

Vince perked up, interjecting, "Onyx sounds like a good spot."

"Isn't that a strip club?" Jesse questioned.

"They prefer gentleman's club," defended Vince.

Brian snorted in laughter. "Yeah, I'm sure they do."

"So, let's pregame, get a little rowdy, and head out." Jesse offered.

"Let's do it," agreed Brian.

Just in time, Dom came through the front door, looking around. "Who died?"

"Nah, man, no one died. We're celebrating Brian graduating cop school."

"Police academy." Jesse corrected him.

"Right, right. Same thing." Vince brushed it off. "So, booze and broads. You in?"

Dom shrugged. "I'm down. Lemme change first."

Twenty minutes later, Dom was refreshed from his shower. He'd changed and started in on the beer with the guys. It wasn't long before they were loosened up and ready to go. They'd even cracked open a bottle of tequila and took a few shots.

"Gimme a sec. I'm gonna ask the girls if they wanna go." Dom explained as they headed out of the apartment. He knocked on the girls' door and waited for a response. Mia opened the door with sweatpants and a hoodie on. Her hair had been pulled up and there was a toothbrush stuck behind her ear.

"What's up, fellas?"

"Miaaaaa!" The near-tipsy guys shouted. Mia blinked her shock at the loud men before smiling.

"Up to no good, I see." She commented. Letty appeared at the door behind Mia in girl-cut briefs and baseball tee. The guys were talking over each other, trying to explain that they were heading out and wanted to girls to join them.

"What are these idiots screaming about?"

"Lettyyyy!" They yelled.

"Pipe the fuck down. One person at a time." Letty told them. "In your indoor voice."

"Get dressed. Take two shots of anything. Onyx. Right now. Let's go!" Vince demanded.

Mia and Letty looked at each other and shrugged.

"Fine." Mia said, opening up the door to allow them inside.

"Whatever." Letty agreed, heading back to her bedroom to change.

_Onyx Gentleman's Club, Hollywood, 9:29PM_

The strip club was packed, to say the least. There was a variety of bills flying all over the place. Half-naked and fully nude women walked around, carrying clear trashbags filled with money. The music was loud and the bass thumped heavily through their shoes and the team could feel it in their chests. Rowdy men were everywhere, spending their life savings on the fantasy that the beautifully fit women were selling. Red, yellow, green and blue lights flashed on the six separate stages and waitresses walked around in their short black shorts and tight black t-shirts that boasted "THE ONYX" across the taut material.

The glass shelves behind the full bar held every liquor ever made from all around the world. Three women bartenders -a brunette, a blonde, and an bottled redhead- walked back and forth pouring drinks, collecting money and wiping the bar down.

"Champagne room, handsome?" A caramel-skinned dancer asked Vince. Her tight body boasted her time well-spent in the gym. Vince looked at his team and back at the woman.

"Hell yeah." He answered. Allowing her to grab his hand and lead him to a private back room, Vince was already in heaven.

"Drinsks?" Dom asked Mia and Letty.

"A shot of Hennessy." Letty yelled over the loud music.

"Cosmo." Mia told him. And he was off.

Leon and Jesse had already made their way over to the large, main stage where two dancers were working a metal pole together, drawing men into the fantasy of a threesome that would never come to fruition.

Letty and Mia quickly found three seats at a cocktail table, sitting down and watching the spectacle in front of them. Letty enjoyed the view, no stranger to naked women. When she was a bartender at a strip club, she'd become accustomed to the nakedness. Mia was far from a prude, but strip clubs weren't really her forte. She was always wondering if any of the girls had children, and if so, what would the kids think if they knew what their mothers did. Still, the youngest Toretto was more than happy to help put money in the girl's pockets.

Dom sat down in the remaining seat and a server girl was right behind him. She had a perfectly balanced, black circular tray in her left hand, holding it above her head and the crowd. She slipped the drinks on the table, correctly guessing who had ordered which drink; it was a gift, being able to read people the way she did.

"I'm Monroe. If you guys need anything else. Let me know." Monroe told them. It was apparent why she'd have the club name 'Monroe'. She was the splitting image of Marilyn, with bleach blonde hair, dark eyebrows and a mole just above her lip. Her body was curvy and looked soft to the touch.

The crowd of men by the main stage, including Leon and Jesse, went wild as the two dancers performed a dance that simulated the sixty-nine position. Mia's eyes went wide and she quickly stood up, heading to the stage. Letty shook her head, smiling.

"Ever think you'd see the day when your little sister would be tipping strippers?" Letty asked, sipping on the strong brown liquor.

"Hell no." He confessed, glancing over at the tanned Latina.

"How about a lap dance, handsome?" A dancer asked Dom. She was petite and thin with dark curls cascading over her shoulders and halfway down her back.

He looked over at Letty who was staring straight ahead at a new act on the main stage. She could hear everything that, but said nothing. Dom's cocky half-smile graced his face and he nodded once, sitting back in his chair. Pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket, the girl's eyes bulged and she smiled knowingly.

Sensually, she commenced, by turning around and sticking her ass directly into Dom's crotch. When grinding against him became too mundane, the dancer turned around and climbed onto Dom's lap, straddling him. She seductively rolled her body against his.

"I'm Lola." She offered.

"Dom."

"Nice to meet you, Dom. You married?"

"Not married," confirmed Dom.

"Single?"

"Nah. Not exactly."

"Ah, 'it's complicated'." Lola translated.

"Pretty much."

"Too bad." She shrugged. He leaned his, both of his hands on her lower back, whispering something into her ear. She smiled and nodded. He handed her a fifty-dollar bill and she gracefully dismounted him. Sauntering up to Letty, Lola climbed onto her lap and began to grind against her as well.

Amused, Letty looked over to Dom and shook her head.

"Early Christmas gift." He chuckled and took a swig of his Corona.

"Funny." Letty grinned.

At the end of the song, Lola walked away from the couple with seventy-five dollars in her g-string.

By midnight, Letty and Dom were drunk and could barely keep their eyes off of each other. Careful not to bring too much attention to themselves, they kept the touching to a minimum. Dom had moved his chair closer to hers under the pretense of making more room for the rest of the team. He would squeeze her thigh under the table, letting her know that he was ready when she was. And when she nodded her head, inconspicuously towards the doorway, they both stood up, announcing their departure.

"I'm beat. Stay, have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Letty said, stretching for good measure.

"I'm gonna drive her drunk ass home." Dom told them. He held his hand out for Letty's car keys, which she wrenched from her pocket.

Too drunk to think anything of it, the rest of the team nodded their heads and verbalized a farewell to them.

_Mia & Letty's apartment, Los Angeles, 12:41AM_

Letty barely had a chance to lock the front door before Dom was whipping her around and attacking her mouth with his. With one hand on her neck and the other on the door behind her, Dom couldn't control himself. He'd been waiting to get Letty alone again for two whole days. Likewise, Letty wanted their clothes off in order to feel his warm skin against her own.

Letty put her hands on his chest, pushing him away, before moving past him and grabbing his hand to lead him towards her bedroom. She shut and locked that door as well. The brunette pulled off Dom's shirt and ran her hands down his broad chest and down his chiseled stomach. Her mouth found his again, only pausing when Dom tugged her top up, over her head and off. It landed somewhere across the room before he unbottoned her jeans.

"We're supposed... to be starting... over." Letty panted between kisses.

"We are." Dom panted back. Letty wiggled out of her jeans and Dom pushed his off as well. The jingling sound of his belt brought Letty to the realiztion that this was really happening. She was really about to sleep with Dominic Toretto again. Suddenly, she was nervous, but she didn't let it show.

Instead, she took control by gently pushing Dom onto the bed. Climbing onto him, Letty grinded her core against his stiffened member, causing them both to moan. She unclasped her black bra and allowed the material to slide down her arms. Grabbing Dom's hands, she held them against her breasts, encouraging him to squeeze softly. He did and her head tilted back, enjoying the sensation.

A breathy moan escaped her lips when Dom leaned up and took turns on each of her hardened nipples. Involuntarily, her hips moved and she felt his hard on hit her sensitive clit. And she couldn't take anymore, deciding that they'd have to continue the foreplay another time. She was ready and she wanted it _now_.

Managing to get her matching black panties off and Dom's boxers as well, Letty raised herself up, positioning his cock at her entrance. When she slid down onto him slowly, Letty let out a groan and Dom grit his teeth at her tightness. They were still a perfect fit. As if her body had been made for his and vice versa. Letty placed her hands on his chest, and moved a little, allowing time for her body to become reacquainted with his.

Slowly, she rose up...

And sank back down. Again and again, she tortured Dom with her slow motions, and undoubtedly, herself, before Dom squeezed her ass with both hands.

"You're killing me." He told her through clenched teeth. Letty smirked down at him and started to increase her speed.

"Unnhh! Fuck." She moaned and her head tilted towards the ceiling, her dark hair falling down her back. Dom pushed upwards into her her whenever she came down. When her pussy squeezed around his shaft, Dom growled his appreciation.

When he couldn't take anymore Dom, still inside of her, turned them over and put one of her legs over his shoulder. He began slamming in and out of his lover, making her moans increase in volume.

"Shiiiiiit. Fuckfuckfuck-. Unh! Oh god, yeeessss!" She started to yell. Her fingers got twisted in the sheets, gripping them tightly. Her back arched and her toes curled as he brought her closer and closer to her climax.

Just before she reached her peak, Dom pulled out and flipped her around, bringing her to her knees. He shoved his cock back into her wet pussy and continued to punish her. Letty's face fell into the pillow, conveniently muffling her moans. But, Dom wanted to hear every sweet noise she made, so he tangled his hand in a fistful of her hair and pulled her back up until her head was leaning against his chest.

Now in the perfect position, Letty reached behind her and rested her hand on the back of his neck. Every stroke his made, slammed against her g-spot, causing her pussy to clench around his cock again. Reaching around in front of her, Dom rubbed her clit furiously.

She gasped. Her voice caught in her throat and there were a few seconds of complete silence just before her body erupted in a volcano of pure bliss.

"Uuunnnhhhhh!" She yelled and her body shook as Dom continued his ministrations on her body. Still stroking her, Dom held onto her body for dear life as he got closer and closer.

"Fuck! Sooo... fucking... good!" He shouted. His eyes squeezed shut and he pulled out of her in just enough to time to unload his cum onto her ass.

They were sweaty. Breathing heavily. And thoroughly satisfied with each other.

Collapsing onto Letty's bed, Dom pulled the sheets up and over their naked bodies. He pulled Letty to him, and her head rested against his chest. Dom wrapped his arms tightly around her, loving the warmth of her flushed body.

It wasn't long before their breathing evened. Dom kissed the crown of Letty's head. "Letty, I-."

"Don't say anything now. We're still a little tipsy. And we just had sex. Tell me in the morning. Over coffee." She told him.

Understanding, Dom smiled with his eyes closed. "Okay."

_Flashback, 6 years ago (2007), Los Angeles_

_Letty and Dom lay in Dom's bed in a post-coital haze. Her arm lazily resting across his stomach and his left arm around her, holding her close. They'd had a hell of a day, and the only thing they could think of to relax them was to lie in bed and watch TV. Dom had started the three-hour lovemaking session, when he'd grabbed her squeezed her butt softly during a commercial break._

_"Don't start anything you can't finish." Letty told him. _

_"Challenge accepted." He shot back._

_And now, here they were, utterly exhausted and had to be awake for work in less than five hours._

_"Letty, I've never felt this way about anybody. You're unlike anybody I've ever met. And I know it sounds corny or cliche or whatever, but I can honestly see me spending the rest of my life with you. I... I love you, Letty." Dom shared._

_No response._

_"Letty, are you listening?" He asked. Looking down at her, he could see that eyes were closed. He smiled, kissing the top of her head, and turned the TV off._

_In the dark, Letty opened her eyes, thinking for a few moments. Dom had told her that he loved her. She wasn't a cynic, but she was a realist and she knew that you couldn't hold people accountable to the things they said in bed. Especially after mind-blowing sex._

_If he truly meant it, he'd say it to her in the morning, when they were eating breakfast and working on a car._

_And the next morning, he didn't say it to her. And the next week he didn't say it either._

_It took him another two whole months before he said it. Out loud. In public. _

_And that's when she knew that she had been right._

_End of flashback_

_**Up Next: Vacation!**_

_**A/N #2: Sorry, I didn't start the 'mini-vacation' as promised in the "Up Next" line in chapter 11. But this chapter came to me and I couldn't resist. So, it's happening in the next chapter! Review, review, review! (:**_


	13. Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend

_Previously: It wasn't long before their breathing evened. Dom kissed the crown of Letty's head. "Letty, I-."_

_"Don't say anything now. We're still a little tipsy. And we just had sex. Tell me in the morning. Over coffee." She told him._

_Understanding, Dom smiled with his eyes closed. "Okay."_

_**A/N: Had every intention of making this a two-parter, but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. So, my apologies that it's so damn long! Lol. Enjoy! (:**_

_**Chapter 13: Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend**_

_Mia & Letty's apartment, Friday, 7:15AM_

Letty's alarm went off. Loudly. Like every morning, she kept her head under the pillow, and blindly reached over to smack the top of it. And like every morning, when it wouldn't snooze, she yanked the cord from the wall, mumbling an expletive into her covers.

But, unlike any other morning, there came a baritone chuckle from the other side of the bed. Letty's head was pounding from mixing dark and light alcohol at the strip club. Still, she was startled, nearly forgetting about the muscled Italian that had slept alongside of her, and popped her head from under the covers. Wild and wavy dark hair blocked the vision from her half-shut eyes. She pushed the hair back and saw Dom's face smiling back at her.

"Oh, god. I forgot." She mumbled.

"Forgot what?" Dom's grin fell. He assumed she was talking about their sexual encounter and he'd be lying if he said his feelings weren't hurt.

"That you're a morning person." Letty answered, dropping her head back against her pillow.

He smiled again. "I was only a morning person when you made my night."

"Smooth. How many girls have you used that on?"

"None that called me on it," teased Dom.

Letty's response was a middle-finger salute. A few moments of silence passed as he trailed his fingertips along the contours of her smooth back. She sighed, content, before lifting her head up.

"Shit! You gotta go before Mia wakes up." Letty told him. "I don't want her to know that we... you know."

Together, they climbed out of bed. Dressing hurriedly, Dom pulled on his clothes from last night and Letty threw a large shirt on, allowing it to fall over one shoulder.

"I don't know what the big deal is. So what if she knows." Dom confessed.

"Because then she'll know that I broke some sort of Girl Code rule by not telling her about what's really going on between us."

Dom paused and then grabbed his keys off of the floor. "And what's going on between us?"

Ignoring him, Letty unlocked and cracked open her bedroom door as quietly as possible. Peeking her head out, she glanced around the dark apartment. Sunlight wasn't shining through the drapes, a tell-tale sign that Mia hadn't awaken to draw them back yet. Pulling Dom's hand, the pair practically tip-toed past Mia's closed bedroom to the front door.

"Hey," started Dom, turning around. He gently grabbed hold of Letty's chin and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "I never stopped loving you."

Letty's face broke into a smile. "I know," she whispered, "now _go_."

Opening the door, Dom kissed Letty once more before turning towards the hallway. Only to be met by Mia, who was holding her phone and jacket in her hand. Brian was standing at the open door of his and Dom's apartment.

"Wow." Letty started, crossing her arms and smirking at Mia. "You are _so _busted, you little slut."

Mia scoffed for a moment, before realizing that Dom had been creeping out of their apartment as well. She pointed to her brother, still looking at Letty. "Shut up and move, pot. This kettle needs a shower before work."

Letty moved a little to her right to allow her roommate inside. "Well, this has been one _wonderfully _awkward moment brought to you by the Latin-American and Italian-American Associations of California. We look forward to plenty more moments like this, gentlemen." And with that quip, she shut the door.

When she turned around, Mia was directly behind her.

"You had sex with him!" They both shouted at the same time. A moment of silence fell between them before they burst into laughter.

"Details." Letty demanded.

"Why do I have to go first?"

"Do you really wanna hear about my sexcapades with your _brother_?" Letty asked, crossing her arms.

"Good point." Mia agreed, pulling Letty to the couch. They plopped down on it together, and Mia started talking a mile a minute about the rest of her night with Brian.

"...and when we got to his room, he-."

"If you're about to tell me about the penetration, you can skip it. I just wanna know if his penis is like gigantic." Letty interrupted.

Mia's eyes widened. "You are a sick, _sick _little person."

Letty shrugged, nonchalantly. "So I've been told."

Mia's phone chimed in her hand. She moved to check it, suddenly smiling. "It's from Brian."

"Vomit." Letty teased, standing up and stretching. Her body ached as a sweet reminder of her night with Dominic Toretto. Starting towards the kitchen to make coffee, Letty yawned.

"Shut up. He's sweet. He said 'I hope Letty's not giving you the third-degree like Dom's giving me'."

Letty smiled when Mia said Dom's name. "What an annoyingly good big brother."

The phone in Mia's hand dinged with a different sound, signaling something other than a text message. Reading the email that came through, she rubbed her left eye, careful not to smear mascara or liquid eyeliner all over herself.

"Let, I just got an email from the timeshare people."

"What about?" Letty asked, scooping ground coffee beans from its container and putting it into the machine.

"They want to know if we're still doing Labor Day weekend. What should I tell them?"

"Of course we are. Even though last year, I almost murdered Dom and the skank that came with him."

"He didn't know you would be there because you didn't come with us the year before."

"Oh, he knew. Which is why he chose the room next to mine so I could hear them going at it all weekend long." Letty remembered, bitterly.

_Flashback, 1 year ago (2012), September, Clear Lake, California_

_To call the place a cabin would be just plain wrong. It was huge. The Toretto family had been coming here every Labor Day weekend since before Mia could even walk. And once Letty and Vince joined the family, it was even more exciting. Next thing they knew, Jessie and Leon were in their lives and began accepting the invitation to join them at the manor. The only year they skipped was the year that Anthony Toretto died._

_Within the three-story structure were six bedrooms, two of which were on different wings of the first floor. Each had an adjoining bathroom, complete with a jacuzzi bathtub and a separate glass and marble shower. Two family rooms were furnished to give the cabin a woodsy feel with bleached wooden walls and furniture padded with white cushions and brightly colored throw pillows. A fifty-inch flatscreen TV hung from the wall above the marble fireplace. The kitchen was sleek and modern with only stainless steel, titanium and black appliances. The refrigerator and attached freezer had glass doors so the inhabitants of the house could see straight through._

_Two sets of bleached, polished wood staircases stopped at a small balcony landing, where one could turn to either the right or left and be met with two separate hallways. To the right were two large bedrooms and hall closets that were filled with freshly fluffed white towels, wash clothes and bed linens. The left hallway led to two other bedrooms and closets that also held neccesities for the temporary house guests. All the way at the end of that hallway was a secret, winding staircase that brought them to a finished attic that was home to a slanted roof made completely of glass so one could see the night sky. It also held a queen-sized bed and dresser. Along a side wall was a comfortable couch next to a full bookshelf._

_Some of the walls around the manor were made entirely of brilliantly clear plexiglass windows outlined with bleached wooden panels._

_In the backyard was an in-ground pool that had been cleaned and had a list of instructions as to how much chlorine was to be used if necessary. Mahogany wicker couches and chairs created a little circle around a small brick bonfire pit. A gorgeous set of designer patio loungers were lined a few feet from the pool, along with a rectangular table that sat six comfortably with two black cloth umbrellas overhead. The umbrellas weren't truly necessary because of the wooded area where the house stood. _

_In fact, the pool, itself, was unecessary because of the small trail, lined with tall trees that led to Clear Lake. A long, thin dock started from the dry land and made its way into the deep water. Halfway out, a wooden raft dock seemingly floated in the water, for anyone to enjoy sunbathing or to simply rest their limbs from swimming. Tied to a strong limb of an oak tree was a knotted rope, undoubtedly designed to be swung upon and jumped from into the semi-clear water._

_And even though they'd been there countless times before, the beauty of the place always left them in awe. Once the team was finished marveling at the beauty of the 'cabin', as always, each claimed a room as their own. _

_It was early, only four in the afternoon, but Mia decided to get started on dinner. She couldn't wait to use the top of the line appliances and knighted Letty as her personal assistant and taste tester. She unpacked the groceries they'd bought on the way and loaded perishables into the fridge and freezer, leaving out only what she needed._

_"I'm glad you decided to come with us this year. I know Daddy would've wanted _all of us _to continue this tradition."_

_"True. I'm glad too, although, I'm gonna miss his random facts about nature." Letty chuckled, dipping a baby carrot into ranch dressing and biting into it._

_Ignoring Letty's premature eating, Mia started to season the tenderloin steaks. "Me too. He'd kill us if we didn't roast marshmallows and tell corny scary stories."_

_"I'm all for the corny." Letty twirled a cut celery stick between her fingertips. "Speaking of corny, where's your dick of a brother?"_

_Mia's eyebrow raised and she quickly glanced at Letty. "Do you care?"_

_"No." Letty half-lied. "Just making conversation."_

_"He'll be here by dinnertime." Mia smirked, knowingly._

_And he was. By six-thirty, Dom had opened the front door with two duffel bags under his arms and right behind him was a short Hispanic woman. The broad smile that donned his face fell flat when he spotted Letty on one of the sofas, her knees leaning against the arm of the couch and a magazine in her hands. When she looked up at the interruption, Letty raised an eyebrow and she looked towards the woman before turning back to her magazine without a greeting. They headed upstairs, putting their belongings in the last available bedroom. _

_During dinner, Dom introduced the woman as 'Elena' and she was told, by Mia, to make herself at home. Occasionally, Dom would steal glances at Letty, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the ever-obervant Mia Toretto. Still, they pretended to be one big happy family, eating, drinking and conversing._

_"So, Elena, what do you do?" Brian asked, drinking from his beer._

_"Oh, I'm a cop."_

_"LAPD?" He asked._

_Elena nodded._

_"Guess that means we should hide the pot." Vince half-joked. Jesse and Leon snorted their laughter._

_"Oh, no no. Feel free to do whatever you please. When I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation. Don't worry, for the next four days, you're free to break the law." She said, winking at Vince._

_Halfway down the table, Letty rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Excuse me. I'm going for a swim."_

_"Pool or lake?" Mia asked._

_"Lake." She said before standing up and leaving the table._

_"Be careful."_

_By ten p.m., the air was getting cooler and Letty didn't want to catch a cold, so she pulled herself out of the water and headed back down the dark path towards the brightly-lit house. Once inside, she took a long shower, allowing the hot water to massage her aching body and the steam to clear her senses._

_When she was dry and clothed in yoga short-cut underwear and a t-shirt, she hopped into the king-sized bed and turned on the TV, trying to find something to watch. That's when she heard the loud moans coming from across the hall. Rolling her eyes, Letty turned the TV off, and headed towards Mia's room._

_"What's wrong? Can't sleep?" Mia asked, flipping the page of the crime novel she was reading._

_"If your brother wasn't... entertaining his guest, I'd be able to."_

_Mia patted the right side of her bed and Letty climbed up._

_End of flashback_

_Thursday, September, Clear Lake, California, Noon_

Like clockwork, they headed to the rooms that they'd non-verbally assigned over the years to unpack and relax for a little while. This was going to be a great four-day weekend.

_**Up Next: Day 1. The bet.**_


	14. Wager

_**A/N: Well, my goal is to have a flashback in every chapter, but I don't think chapter 15 is going to have one. The way it's being written (yes, I'm already writing it!) so far, doesn't leave much room for one. But, we'll see. Also, remember the 'angst' I was talking about? Yeah, it's so gonna happen. But not just yet. **_

_**So, for now, I give you your feature presentation.**_

_**Chapter 14: Wager**_

_Thursday, Clear Lake, 1:23PM_

An unwanted knock interrupted Letty's TV time. Hopping off of the bed, she padded, barefoot, across the carpet to open the door. Dom's tall frame towered over her. Glancing over his shoulder, quickly, he entered Letty's room and shut the door behind him. Dom pulled Letty to him and pressed his lips against hers. Their kisses became frenzied, complete with panting and the occasional moan.

Single-handedly, Letty unbottoned and unzipped Dom's jeans and then her own. She pulled away and pointed at him, adamantly. "This is the last time."

Dom nodded and leaned in to kiss her again.

"I mean it." Letty chuckled into another kiss before becoming serious again. "We're starting over."

"I got it." Dom whispered. He turned her around and she willingly bent over for him as he pushed her jeans and panties to her knees. One arm wrapped under her waist for support, Dom used his other hand to pull himself out of his boxers.

Teasing her, Dom rubbed the tip of his hardened cock up and down her slit, coating himself in her juices. Letty hissed and pushed her ass back, silently begging him to enter her. And when he did, they moaned their appreciation, for the moment, in unison.

Dom pulled out slowly, and roughly pulled her backwards as he pushed back into her.

Just before he could do it again, another knock sounded at Letty's bedroom door. They froze.

"What?" Letty answered.

"Lunch is ready." Mia's voice came.

"Okay. I'll... be out in a _minute_." Letty breathed the last word as Dom shoved back into her. There was a pause on the other side of the door.

"Relay the message to Dom, will you? I can't seem to find him anywhere." Mia replied.

"Will do." Letty answered.

The pair waited a few moments before they decided it was safe to continue.

"We have to get to lunch," whispered Letty.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick."

"One more." Letty said, holding up her pointer finger for emphasis.

"Two more," bargained Dom. He put both hands on her hips and groaned when Letty wiggled her ass, her pussy clenching around his cock.

"Okay, three more than we have to go."

"Fine." Dom grit his teeth and pulled out slowly before sliding back into Letty's heaven.

And again.

And again. But still, Dom couldn't let Letty go. Everything in his body told him that it was a sin to leave the warmth of _her _body without total satisfaction.

"That was three." Letty told him. They both shivered with desire as Letty pushed him backwards and out of her.

She pulled up her panties and jeans and turned around. Dom's erect penis stood at attention. "What am I supposed to do about this, Letty?"

Letty paused before smirking. "There's a bottle of lotion in the bathroom."

She patted his arm in faux sympathy before opening the door enough for her to squeeze out, shutting it behind her.

In the backyard, Mia had put together a few cold-cut sandwiches, a large bowl that held a mix of different potato chips, homemade iced tea and a store-bought chocolate cake for dessert. Vince, Leon, Jesse and Brian were already sitting around the table when Letty walked out of the sliding doors. Mia placed the last item on the table before taking her seat.

"This looks great." Letty praised. "Thanks, Mia."

"Yeah, thanks, Mia." A chorus of thanks sounded around the table and Mia smiled.

"You're all quite welcome. Where's Dom?" She asked Letty.

"Oh, I relayed the message. But, it might be awhile." Letty smirked at her own private joke.

Grace was said, even though Dom still had not made an appearance. But once they lifted their heads and opened their eyes, he was closing the patio door and heading to his seat. Letty almost choked on a potato chip, trying to stop herself from laughing at the pained expression on his face.

"Everything alright, big guy?" She asked, patting him on his back. He gave her a look.

"It's begun." Jesse interjected, theatrically.

"What's begun?" Brian questioned.

"The sexual pheromone war that is Dom and Letty's love life." Leon answered.

"Yeah, they have an addiction to each other. Once they start, they can't stop." Mia added.

"_Sitting right here_." Dom and Letty scoffed in unison.

Ignoring the pair, Vince continued, "Like two rabbits on Viagra."

The rest of the table shared a laugh at Dom and Letty's expense.

"We can, too, stop." Letty challenged.

"Oh, really? Care to make a wager?" Jesse inquired.

"Fine by me. I'd love to take your money." Dom said. Each individual began taking cash out of their pockets.

"I've got twenty that says you two can't last twenty-four hours." Leon started the bid.

"Oh, no, no, no. That's _way _too easy. Here's fifty on forty-eight hours." Mia said, throwing a fifty-dollar-bill onto the table.

"Alright, forty-eight hours." Dom said, throwing down fifty bucks.

"What exactly are the rules here?" Letty quizzed, putting her money down as well.

"Obviously, no sex; oral or otherwise." Jesse started.

"Yeah, and none of that mutual masturbation bullshit either. Although, whatever you two do in the privacy of your own rooms, _separately_, is up for grabs." Vince chipped in.

"You can kiss but no tongue." Brian chirped.

"You can touch, except for _le genitalia_. And if you two are in each other's bedrooms, the door must stay open," finished Jesse.

"I feel like I'm in high school again. How about you?" Letty said, looking at Dom.

"Pretty much." Dom agreed.

"So, do we have a deal?" Mia asked.

"Deal." Dom and Letty replied. Raising their glasses of iced tea, they made a toast, clinked their glasses together and drank from them.

"This is going to be a piece of cake." Letty stated.

"We'll see, won't we?" Mia grinned.

_4:39PM_

Letty swung on the rope that was tied to the oak tree, before letting go and falling into the cool, lake water. Breaking through the surface, she let out a laugh that was loud and free. She, Jesse, Leon and Vince had decided to take a swim before dinner and it turned out to be the best decision.

The cold water kept Letty from feeling the heat between her legs whenever Dom gave her _the look_. The look that he had given her since she turned sixteen. The look that she could read from across the room, with her back turned to him. The look that told her that he wanted to rip her panties off and never leave the bed for a week; which is something that she'd experienced firsthand with him.

_Letty had to hand it to Dom: the man had stamina._

When Letty turned towards land, she could see Dom standing there with his muscular arms crossed. She waved him into the water with a smile on her face. He looked down, gesturing with his hands, that he wasn't dressed for swimming. She turned up her face and gave him a 'thumbs down' before dunking herself underwater.

Swimming to the floating raft, Letty pulled herself up onto it. Her dark hair was sleek, falling down her back, heavily. The black bikini top held her firm breasts in place. Water dripped down her toned, golden stomach towards the black, red and white swimming trunks she donned. In a nutshell, she was a goddess. Standing up, Letty outstretched her arms and dove back into the water, perfectly.

While Jesse attempted to dunk Vince underwater, Leon was busy trying to 'pants' Jesse. Dom looked on at his small family, shaking his head when Jesse yelped. Looking over, Leon had Jesse's swim trunks in his hand. Dom let out a laugh.

"Leon, give Jesse back his shorts!" He yelled. "We're gonna get fined for indecent exposure."

_8:04PM_

After dinner, Letty and Leon loaded the dishwasher and discarded the scraps of leftover food. When they were finished, Leon patted Letty on the back.

"Well, good luck, Let. The night time is the right time."

"For what?"

"Lovin'." He said, smiling stupidly. "Oh, I forgot. You can't."

"Fuck off." Letty laughed, slapping his hand away.

"Let, the DVD is up and running." Dom's voiced carried from the dark den.

"I'm coming!" She yelled back.

"Are you now?" Leon joked. He caught the dish towel that Letty threw at him and stuck his tongue between his teeth, mocking her.

"Don't you have a sock to get acquainted with?" Letty retorted, heading out of the kitchen.

In the den, Letty hopped over the back of the couch, sliding down next to Dom. He hit 'play' on the remote and kicked his feet up, crossing them at the ankles. It wasn't long before a car was being blown up and the surround-sound system boomed loudly around them.

"That was dope." Letty commented.

"Yeah, it was." Dom responded. He began toying with the light wisps of hair at the nape of Letty's neck, unknowingly twirling them around his finger. A shiver melted down Letty's spine and goosebumps prickled her arms. When she closed her eyes briefly, a flash of their unfinished business from that morning shot in front of her. Her breath caught, inaudibly, in her throat and her eyes shot open.

Feeling her body tense up, Dom looked over. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just... uh," she cleared her throat, "I'm fine. Thanks."

But she wasn't fine. The pulsing between her thighs started and she was certain that it had no plans on stopping. Letty was a woman of few regrets, but suddenly she was regretting the fact that she and Dom didn't finish what they started this morning. Of course she had no idea that the team would bet that they couldn't abstain from sex for forty-eight hours, but it sure would have held her over. Granted, she wasn't a sex addict or anything, -far from it- but when something was forbidden, she was the kind of person that did it just for the thrill. _Fuck the consequences._

Letty leaned further into Dom, who placed an arm around her instinctively. His hand landed on her ass and he couldn't help but cop a light squeeze. Letty pinched his side.

"Ow." He grumbled, rubbing the sore spot.

They somehow managed to finished the movie, with minimal touching, before turning off the TV and headed upstairs. The two stood in the middle of the hallway, halfway between her door and his.

"So... 'night." Letty chirped.

"'Night." He replied. They looked at each other, non-verbally deciding that a kiss, even just a peck, would result in them losing the bet. Instead, they turned towards their bedrooms and headed in, closing their respective doors behind them.

It took Letty an hour of tossing and turning before she got comfortable; eventually turning on the TV to block out the sound of her own thoughts.

But, with sex on her mind, Letty's dreams were filled with memories.

_Flashback, 7 years ago (2006), September, Clear Lake_

_It was the first time since Dom's release that he'd been to the cabin at Clear Lake. It had only been a month since he and Letty made it official. Once the team had found out, there was no denying their relationship. Mia had been surprisingly happy for them, mainly because she no longer had to deal with the sexual tension that had radiated off of them since Letty was sixteen._

_Dom's release and his newfound relationship with Letty was more than enough reason to celebrate this coming Labor Day. Leon and Mia would have been lying if they said they weren't surprised when Dom announced that he'd be coming with them to the lakehouse. But he needed the peaceful surroundings after the cement walls he'd been staring at for two years._

_The first couple of days were wonderful with hiking, swimming, eating, and relaxing. By Sunday, the scattered showers became a nonstop downpour. But that didn't stop Dom from pulling Letty from her cozy spot by the fireplace and into the warm, end of summer rain. They hiked a little ways to the lake, soaked to the bone, but Letty hadn't minded._

_They competed in their own swimming race to see who could reach the floating raft in the center of the lake first. Naturally, Letty won, having been a swimming instructor for three summers in a row at the local pool. The rain was letting up, but not ceasing, and swimming in it was one of the most beautiful feelings._

_"I win." Letty said, pulling Dom atop of her. Her back against the wet wood and Dom's masculine body melting against hers was the icing on the cake. His lips met hers. Her bikini top was untied and moved so Dom could wrap his lips around her hard nipples, tugging gently with his teeth. They pushed off each other's shorts and Letty grabbed ahold of Dom's manhood._

_And the moment that Dom pushed upwards and into her, Letty's back arched and the, now gentle, rain kissed her skin. It was a moment she'd always remember._

_End of flashback_

_3:38AM_

Letty jerked awake. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked around the dark room. Glancing at the digital clock by the bed, she read the electric blue numbers.

"You have got to be kidding me." She grumbled and pulled a pillow over her head.

_**Up Next: Day 2. The conversation.**_


	15. Before

_**A/N: So, I see we have some competition in the reviews about whether or not Dom and Letty will make it these 48 hours. Lol. I'm loving it.**_

_**The very wonderful [**__BeckettLovesCastle__**] was kind enough to give me a little spoiler from Fast 6 (since she's in the UK), which aren't in this chapter or this story at all, but a central theme is familiarity and safety and family, so a little of that is portrayed in the conversation between Dom & Letty. Enjoy! (:**_

_**Chapter 15: Before**_

_Friday, Clear Lake, 8:12AM_

Letty finished her run at the top of a grassy mountain. She raised her arms over her head to help the intake of oxygen into her lungs. There was a thin layer of fog overhead and the sun was trying to push through the clouds. The air was clean. And Letty had no need for her headphones because nature sang all around her.

The shorter tendrils of hair that managed to escape her ponytail clung to her flushed face and neck. She bent over and grabbed her left ankle with both hands, stretching her back and hamstrings.

"Beautiful view." Dom's voice came. Letty looked between her legs and saw him, upside down, also in workout gear. She stood up straight; her breath had finally returned to normal only to hitch again when she saw him.

"It is, isn't it?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. They stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down upon everything.

"What? Oh, the nature. Yeah, it's nice." Dom smiled. Letty nudged him, playfully, with her shoulder.

"Flattery gets you nowhere with me."

"_Believe me_, Letty, I don't need flattery."

"Cocky are we?"

"Lil' bit." Dom admitted.

A comfortable silence formed while they soaked in the breathtaking view.

"I want to talk to you about something." Dom broke the silence first. He turned to Letty, catching her gaze.

"Okay. Shower and breakfast by the pool?"

"Sounds like a plan." He looked at his watch. "One hour?"

Letty nodded. "Race you to the house."

They looked into each other's eyes for a split second before they took off down the trail, leaving behind only the echo of their laughter.

Reaching the house, Dom ran into Letty's path, blocking her from reaching the sliding patio doors before him.

"Cheater!" She yelled before pushing him to the side to open the door, entering first.

"Sore loser." Dom commented.

"Is that how you used to win all those races?" She inquired.

"You must have hit your head without me seeing." Dom concluded, feigning worry. He patted the top of her head gently. Letty swatted his hand away and opened the fridge, retrieving two bottles of water. Handing one to Dom, she started towards the stairs.

"Good morning. Nice run?" Mia asked, descending the steps.

"Do you wake up looking this refreshed or is there some sort of secret process?" Letty asked. Mia rolled her eyes and ignored her friend's question.

"Breakfast?"

"Not for me. I'll grab something quick after my shower." Letty confirmed.

"Same." Dom added.

_9:02AM_

Letty stepped from her adjoining bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy, white towel. The soft aroma of lavender followed her into her bedroom. Glancing over, she noticed that she'd forgotten to shut her bedroom door. Directly across the hall, Dom was leaving the steam of his bathroom as well. With a towel around his waist and one draped over his head, he felt Letty's eyes on him.

Looking towards her, he winked. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Letty pretended to be appalled, crossing the room to stand in her doorway. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Letty, I've been trying to figure _that _out for a decade." Dom said, matter-of-factly. Now standing in front of Letty's door, he used his fingertips to slowly slide the bottom of her towel to the side. She pushed his hand away.

"You're not helping an already... delicate situation." She muttered.

"There are thousands of places to be alone. No one would know." He tempted her.

"Oh, we'd know." Leon said loudly, letting them know that he'd heard their discussion.

Letty raised an eyebrow at Dom as if to say, '_See?_', before shutting her bedroom door in his face.

Twenty-two minutes later, Dom and Letty were in the kitchen, putting together a quick meal of dry cereal, energy bars and orange juice before heading out to sit at the back patio.

"So, what's up?" Letty asked, unwrapping her energy bar. She kicked her feet up on the chair beside her.

"I just wanted to know how you were feeling."

"About?"

Dom looked at her.

"Ah. Us. This." She confirmed. Looking out over the pool and taking in the scenery, Letty shrugged. "I'm okay with us. With this. It feels... familiar."

"Is familiar a good thing?"

"Yeah, man. I mean, in a strange way, it's like when Tony died we became 'mom' and 'dad'. And in an even _stranger _way, that felt... normal. It felt right. And everything that happened after we broke up felt-."

"Wrong." Dom finished.

"Exactly. And you know me, I'm all about testing my own limits but it just felt unsafe. Surreal."

"Like a car with no driver."

Letty nodded. "And a part of me felt a little weak 'cause I'm not the kind of girl that needs a guy to feel... secure, but-." She trailed off and silence fell as Dom waited for her to continue.

Suddenly, she began again, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't still love you. But I was doing a fine job of ignoring those feelings until you moved into my apartment building."

Dom chuckled. "Mia really didn't tell you that I was moving in next door?"

"No. How long did she know?"

"Couple weeks before we moved in."

"That little runt." Letty drank from her orange juice.

"What was going through your head when you saw Brian and me moving in that day?"

Letty laughed out loud. "First, I wanted you guys to shut the hell up. I had the worst hangover. Besides that is was pretty much '_what the fuck?_' and '_you have got to be kidding me_'. " She cleared throat. "Why? What were you thinking?"

"I thought '_damn, she's still got it_'." Dom admitted.

"Bullshit."

Dom shrugged with one shoulder and reached over to break off a piece of Letty's cereal bar. "Cross my heart."

"I had a hangover. And bedhead. And I was wearing boxers."

"I think it looked sexy. I used to wake up to that bedhead every morning. And every morning I felt like the luckiest man in the world."

"Hm." Was all Letty said, shaking her head.

"If every married man in the world woke up next to a woman who looked like you did in the morning, believe me, there would be way fewer divorces."

_Flashback, 2 years ago (2011), Los Angeles_

_One month prior to 'The Big Bang, Dom had been doing a lot of thinking. And the actions that he took because of his thoughts were bigger and better. He was starting to think long-term. Business-wise. Family-wise. And romantically, as well._

_Knocking on Mia's door, Dom entered after being given permission. Mia sat her novel facedown on the bed and looked up at her brother._

_"You busy?" He asked._

_"Nope. What's up?"_

_"I want to talk to you about something serious." Closing the door behind him, Dom moved across the hardwood floor slowly._

_"Oh, god, is this like 'your goldfish ran away' bad or like 'we're losing the house' bad?" Mia questioned, suddenly on pins and needles._

_"No, no. It's serious but it's a good kind of serious." Dom told her, sitting on the edge of her bed. He opened his fist and handed Mia the small item in his hand._

_"Dominic! Is this what I think it is?" She squealed. She opened the small jewelry box to find a gold ring inside. A fairly large diamond ring stared back at her. Her eyes were wide and she covered her opened mouth after her jaw dropped._

_"Are you serious?"_

_Dom nodded. "Is it gonna be weird that Letty's gonna be your sister-in-law?"_

_Mia snorted. "Not even close! She's been my only sister for as long as I can remember. Oh, Dom! I'm so happy for you!"_

_"You have to keep this to yourself, though. I'm gonna tell Vince, too, but I want it to be a surprise to everyone."_

_"Of course." Mia promised, crossing her heart with her finger. She wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. "This is going to be awesome."_

_Sitting back on her haunches, Mia squinted her eyes. "You don't have any idea how you're going to propose, do you?"_

_"Not a clue. But, I want it to be clever. And kind of romantic. Something she can tell people about in the future."_

_"Letty's not easily impressed."_

_"Tell me something I don't know."_

_"Well, I'll think of some ideas and let you know."_

_"Cool. That's why I needed you onboard." Dom confessed. He stood up and headed to the door._

_"Hey." Mia stopped him. "I'm glad I got stuck with you as a brother."_

_Dom smiled. "I'm glad I got stuck with you, too."_

_End of flashback_

_5:31PM_

"Let, will you make the salad for dinner?" Mia asked from the stove. She was stirring the contents of a large sauce pan.

"Yeah." Letty started to pull out the leafy greens, a cucumber and a carrot stick when the guys entered the large kitchen.

"When's dinner gonna be ready, Mia?" Vince asked.

"The more you ask, the slower I get." Mia responded without missing a beat.

Jesse and Leon hopped up onto the L-shaped counter while Brian and Dom stood opposite Letty at the island. Vince walked to the fridge to fridge to grab a beer.

"You guys need any help?" Brian asked.

"Of course not. They're good in the kitchen." Leon stated.

"Yeah, right where women belong." Vince joked. Mia whipped around to say something, but just then, Letty looked, pointedly, at them and made a show of chopping the cucumber in half with a knife, before smiling cynically.

Vince grabbed his crotch, protectively. Dom and Brian had pained looks on their faces.

"I'll never look at a cucumber the same." Jesse said, hopping down off of the counter.

Mia smirked and turned back around to the. Somehow, Letty always managed to have a great comeback, even if she was silent.

"Hey, Vince," Letty said, indifferently, "your dinner will have an extra kick to it tonight."

"You don't mess with a man's food, Letty. You just don't do it." He replied.

"Then don't fuck with the women who are making it." She smiled, sweetly.

_**Up Next: Sexual tension at its finest. **_

_**A/N: Awww shit! Dom was going to propose to Letty?! Whaaaaa?! Lol. Next chapter will be a lot sexier. I'm not gonna let you guys down. (:**_


	16. Countdown

_**A/N: I swear the reviews that you guys leave make my day! Glad you're loving this! Listen, if someone bet me four hundred bucks to not have sex for two days, I'd literally look at them as if they were insane, throw my hands up and say 'it ain't gonna happen, cap'n." Lol. **_

_**Also, there are probably thousands of mistakes in this chapter since I didn't have time to edit it. So, if there is anything too major, I'll just reupload the chapter later.**_

_**Enjoy! (:**_

_**Chapter 16: Countdown**_

_Friday, Clear Lake, 5:45PM, 20 hours left_

The dining room table, designed to seat ten, comfortably, had become the temporary home to eight hungry adults and a vast array of hot dishes. Mia had really outdone herself with the ricotta chicken, fried mozzarelline with warmed, homemade marinara sauce, lasagna and bruschetta for the focaccia bread. Different bottles of wine and beer were passed up and down the rectangular family table along with dinner and conversation.

"I have to say I'm shocked. It's been," Mia looked at her watch, "twenty-eight hours and you two haven't slipped."

When neither Letty nor Dom responded, the remainder of the team glanced down the table in their direction. The two had been staring at each other, intently, for the past seven minutes or so. Letty lifted her glass and took a drink from it, her eyes never leaving Dom's. Waves of desire radiated from Dom and crashed like waves between Letty's legs. He had an erection that wouldn't quit and he wanted nothing more than to, singlehandedly, push the dishes off of the table and replace them with Letty's body.

"I told you guys that twenty-four hours would be too easy." Mia said to no one in particular.

"Oh, yeah, it's totally game time now." Jesse said, cutting into the cheesy chicken on his plate.

With a mouthful of food, Vince interjected, "Yeah, man. It's getting serious. There's four hundred bucks on the line."

"Let. Letty?" Mia called down the table.

Letty cleared her throat and looked away from Dom, distractedly inquiring, "What?"

"Hey, thanks for tuning in, Let." Leon added.

"Shut up, man. You don't know my struggle, bro." She told him.

Brian simply shook his head at their antics.

Letty sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "I want to _hit _something."

"Don't be so violent. I'm sure you've gone longer without sex." Jesse replied.

Mia laughed. "Good one, Jesse."

"Uh oh. Don't tell me these past two years Letty's been getting her freak on frequently." Leon joked.

Mia raised an eyebrow and made a show of drinking from her wine glass.

"Ooohhhh!" Leon, Jesse, and Vince shouted in unison.

"Yeah, Letty. Attagirl." Vince beamed with pride at his pseudo-sister.

"Mia!" Letty exclaimed.

"What?" Mia asked as innocently as possible.

Letty closed her eyes and let her head rest on the back of the chair. "This _has _to be what Hell feels like."

"When did you become a drama queen?" When Dom spoke, his voice sent shivers down Letty's body. She picked her head up and opened her eyes, looking at him.

"I've been living with your sister too long." She responded.

"Hey!" Mia whined. "I am not dramatic."

"Hate to break it to you, Mi, but yeah you are." Leon confirmed.

"You'll all starve for the remainder of this vacation." Mia threatened.

"Stop the madness, woman!" Jesse shouted. A chorus of laughter followed Jesse's outburst. Except for Dom and Letty, both of whom had resumed their staring competition.

_7:30, 18 hours left_

The dishes were done, leftover food had been put in Tupperware bowls and refrigerated, and the inhabitants of the house were off to their own after-dinner activities.

After a long, annoying battle with the wi-fi internet connection, Letty finally found the perfect spot; her MacBook sat on the kitchen island and she stood directly in front of it with a pen and a notebook next to her. All she wanted was to do was find and order parts for the remodifications that she and Dom had started on her old car. Within the first few sites she visited, Letty was able to find what she needed, and kept track of everything she purchased online by writing it on the notepad.

"What are you up to?" Dom asked, entering the kitchen.

"Ooh, good. Come here and look at this. They have the_ Borla Cat Back Exhaust System _or the _Greddy Racing Sport _system. I was thinking the _Greddy _for the Nissan." She said, pointing at the illuminated screen.

Dom stood off to her right, and leaned over her shoulder to see. "Nah. Go with the _Borla_. That way you can replace the entire system."

Letty nodded. Her hand moved across the touchpad of the computer and went through the motions of buying the exhaust system. Sliding her credit card next to her, she started to type in her account number.

"Why don't you just use the garage's account? That way you can get a business discount." He asked, moving closer to her.

"I was going to, but I couldn't remember the-. The uh,-." Letty's words got caught in her throat when Dom pushed all of her hair onto her left shoulder and put his face in her neck. He pressed against her and her breath hitched, feeling his hardness against her.

"Dom." She practically whispered. Still, she leaned back into his and gripped the edge of the counter.

"You smell sweet." He breathed against her ear. Letty couldn't remember when her eyes closed, but it was probably when his lips expertly found the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck.

"Stop." What Letty thought was going to be a demand, came out as a pained request.

"No." He told her. When his hand went to reach for hers, Letty's ink pen was hit. And it rolled off of the counter and onto the floor.

"You dropped your pen." Dom's low voice announced.

"No, _you _dropped my pen." Letty shot back.

"Well," Dom started, his tone lighter, and teasing, "bend over, _slowly_, and pick it up. And be sexy about it."

"Shut up." She said. Reaching down to get the pen, a squeal of laughter left Letty's throat when Dom put his hand on her back, bending her over completely. When her fingers located and grasped the writing instrument, she started to stand back up, only to be stopped by Dom.

"No, wait, you look good like that."

"You're an ass." Letty pushed him away, and stood back up. She pushed her unruly hair out of her face and let it fall down her back. Dom moved it aside, once again, and kissed her neck again before nipping at it softly.

Letty turned around to face him, there bodies flush against one another's. "What are you doing?"

He kissed her lips. Over and over. Careful not to harm Letty's MacBook, Dom reached behind her, closed the lid and pushed it further back on the island. Gripping her ass, Dom picked Letty up and sat her on the marble counter.

"Uh oh. Watch out now." She teased, kissing him again. And again. Refraining as hard as they could from using tongue. Letty softly bit Dom's bottom lip, causing him to grip her thighs tightly.

Brian walked into the kitchen, clearing his throat, theatrically. He opened the fridge door and gave them a disapproving look. Still, looking at them, Brian lifted the cold water bottle to his mouth, gulping half of the bottle down, before turning and walking out.

Letting out a breath, Dom and Letty laughed at the situation. Letty put her hands on Dom's face. "This is ridiculous. I just want to be with you."

"Fine. Then we'll pass up four hundred bucks and bragging rights." Dom said, shrugging his shoulders. He leaned in to unbotton her jeans.

"No wait!" Letty exclaimed, grabbing his hands to stop him. Dom smirked. He knew that he had her. There was no way that Letty would pass up bragging rights. She was hard-headed and determined, and she would never allow her knuckle-headed quasi-brothers to tease her about anything.

Glancing at the digital clock on the stove, Letty looked back at Dom. "Only seventeen hours and fifteen minutes left."

"That's my girl."

_Saturday, 12:50PM, 40 minutes left_

Letty sat on the couch next to Dom, furiously chewing a piece of fruity gum. Her right leg shook, uncontrollably and she crossed her arms. The pair were taking turns looking between at the antique, analog clock above the fireplace and the game in front of them.

"A watched pot never boils," quoted Mia. She recounted her colorful play money and began to line them up neatly on the table.

The team had assembled in the family room to play a couple of board games, starting with Monopoly. Jesse, the best at math, declared himself banker and everyone else gathered around as he passed out the money. Vince and Leon fought over who was going to be the gold-plated shoe. Brian skipped through a few radio statios on the stereo before finding one that played upbeat Tejano music.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Letty inquired, irritably.

"It means if you sit there and watch the seconds tick by, time goes by slower." She translated.

Letty rolled her eyes and took the money that Jesse handed her. "I want to be the boat."

Upon the completion of the game's setup, each individual took a turn rolling the dice to see who went first. Brian's roll was the highest; rolling a perfect twelve. Dom was next and Mia was after him. It didn't take long before the game had them hooting and hollering about Vince taking all of the good properties.

"He freaking buys everything he lands on, man." Mia huffed.

"Well, stop getting sent to jail and you wouldn't have this problem!" Vince shouted back.

Brian laughed, drinking from his beer. "I think Vince is cheating."

"What? How? It's Monopoly." Vince defended himself.

"He's probably got an extra pair of loaded dice hidden somewhere." Leon joked, pushing Vince's shoulder.

"Damn, now that's a good idea."

Sharing a laugh, Letty happened to look up at the clock, just in time to see the second hand reach the twelve.

"Oh! Time is up!" Letty yelled at them.

"What?"

Letty nodded her head towards the clock and their gazes followed.

"That's right. Pay up, busters." Dom demanded, playfully.

"Okay, okay. I'll admit it. You guys made it."

"Yeah, you two aren't sex addicts like we thought."

"Our little Dom and Letty are all growed up." Leon said, channeling a distraught parent.

Just as she was beginning to take her money from her pocket, Mia stopped.

"Wait." She paused. Squinting her eyes, Mia looked back and forth between Letty and Dom.

"What?" He asked. Mia put her hand on Leon's and pushed his own money back towards him. "You guys lost."

"Mia, we won, fair and square." Letty replied. "Don't be a sore loser."

"Mhm." Mia responded. "Then why aren't you two already halfway upstairs, ripping each other's clothes off yet?"

"Wh-. I-." Letty started. She looked at Dom for help.

"Because we're having family time. And we cherish these moments more than anything."

"Bullshit!" Vince howled. "You two did it!"

Letty and Dom looked at each other, smiling guiltily.

_Flashback, Saturday, 9:33AM, 3 hours 57 minutes left_

_Letty's steaming hot shower was just what she needed after her morning run. She let the water rain against the sorest parts of her body; shoulders, back, legs. The Latina closed her eyes and pushed her dripping hair back as she stood under the steady stream. In the midst of her relaxation, she felt a sudden cool breeze float around her. Opening her eyes, Letty spotted Dom opening the foggy glass door of the marble shower._

_Her eyes widened slightly and she opened her mouth to speak before Dom's hand covered it. Bringing a finger to his own lips, Dom inaudibly 'shushed' her before slowly falling to his knees before her. He hooked one of her legs onto his shoulder and pressed a kiss against her center. Letty's head fell back, resting against the wall of the small, enclosed shower. One hand went, instinctively, to the top of his head, pushing his face deeper._

_Letty's mouth opened slightly, but before her moan could escape her lips, he pulled his tongue out of her pussy. Looking down at him, she was about to reprimand him for ceasing his ministrations. But, once again, he brought a finger to his lips, silently demanding that she not make a sound._

_And the filthiest moments were always much naughtier when one has to be quiet about it._

_End of flashback_

_**Up Next: More from the team's vacation. Dom & Letty are... incapacitated.**_

_**A/N #2: What'd you guys think? Juicy enough for ya? Lol. Betcha wanted me to finish that flashback. Haha. No worries, there's plenty more filth coming! (:**_


	17. Sunday Funday

_**A/N: I know we all love Dotty, but I feel like I've been neglecting 'Bria' and the team. And I promised myself that I wouldn't do that in this story! So, enjoy! (:**_

_**Chapter 17: Sunday Funday**_

_Sunday, Clear Lake, 2:27AM_

Twilight was neither far nor near. The vast sky was dark, but clear and stars burned brilliantly, reminding Mia of diamonds against a scrap of black velvet. She lie back against the netted hammock that was hung between the limbs of the two lowest trees in the backyard. Her left foot dangled over the edge, a tan flip-flop hanging on for dear life. Swinging lightly, Mia breathed in the fresh mountain air and simply took the time to admire how beautiful the world could be. Somewhere in the distance she could hear Leon's gentle strumming on his acoustic guitar.

Brian slid the patio door closed, alerting Mia of his presence. She glanced over her shoulder quickly to confirm that it was, indeed, Brian.

"I come bearing gifts." He announced. One large hand held two Coronas and what looked like granola bars. And the other gripped a small, throw blanket from the back of the couch.

The temperature had dropped significantly, but it wasn't bad. A nice end-of-summer breeze blew, cascading Mia's hair across her face. She patted the grand space of net beside her.

"Bless you." Mia accepted the blanket, gratefully. Once she'd placed it over her exposed legs, Mia took a beer and granola bar from his hand.

"This was the only quick thing that l I could find." Brian offered, making himself comfortable next to her.

"It's perfect." Mia smiled at him. "This entire weekend is perfect."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're altogether. Dom and Letty are back... together. And you and I are-." Mia stopped midsentence, unsure what she and Brian really were.

Brian looked at her and pushed her hair off of her shoulder. "Together. Right?"

She smiled again and looked down, suddenly shy. "Are we?"

"Damn right." Brian nodded, his tone playful. "I don't know about you, but I don't just give my body to just any girl with a pretty smile, thank you very much."

She pushed his shoulder and laughed. "Shut up."

"I like you, Mia. A lot." He told her.

"I like you a lot, too."

"Nah, I don't believe you," he teased.

"And why's that?"

"Because you're just hogging the damn blanket. It's supposed to be fifty-fifty if you like someone."

Mia rolled her eyes and scoffed, pretending to be annoyed. "Well, if you're gonna be a _girl _about it-."

She opened the blanket up further and threw some of the material over Brian's midsection. He snuggled into it like a child, shimmying his shoulders in contentment and smiling cheekily. Mia laughed loudly and shook her head. They cracked open their beers and granola bars before leaning back in the hammock, listening to the chorus of crickets. There was an owl in a tree close by them, hooting his presence. The night felt quiet, with a gentle symphony of nature.

Star-gazing had never been a pasttime of Brian's, but when he was with Mia, he would do whatever she wanted. They'd been doing their mating dance for about four years now, and he couldn't put his finger on the reason why he'd finally been able to do something about it. But he did. And he wouldn't question it because of all the good that was sure to come from his decision.

_Flashback, 4 years ago (2009), Los Angeles, January, Friday_

_Even at three in the morning, Hollywood Boulevard was a display of prostitutes and pimps, mixed with the flashing neon lights of stores and party people not yet ready to go home. Not too far away, the cops had been called on the drag racing on Sunset. Dominic Toretto and the woman who was well-known as his girlfriend and a badass racer, herself, sat in a Dodge Charger at a red light. It was clear that they were trying to avoid bringing any unwanted attention to themselves with their seatbelts fastened._

_Brian's Skyliner pulled up next to him, staring straight ahead. He'd been next on the list to get a chance to race Dom before the cops had been called. Revving his engine, Brian was anxious but tried to keep a cool face as he glanced over at Dom. The challenge was in his eyes._

_Dom looked over at the strange white boy in the imported car. He then turned his gaze over to Letty, whose face held a smirk and a raised eyebrow._

_"Who's this _gringo_?" Dom asked. (stranger.)_

_"One cocky_ cabrón_." Letty replied. (Motherfucker.)_

_Dom revved his engine back, smirking. Turning back to the road, four seconds ticked by before the light turned green and both cars sped off, leaving smoke in their wake._

_Down the street they went, wind from the open window, blowing Letty's hair into her face. She laughed loudly, loving the adrenaline rush that racing gave her. Dom's eyes were glued to the road as he hit the clutch and shifted gears, still ahead of Brian's car. They both made sharp rights around the winding street, giving Brian a small, but solid lead._

_Unfazed, Dom pushed his car to its limits, hitting fourth gear and speeding in front of Brian. Two blocks ahead, they both saw their finish line: a green light changing to yellow. For the next street-and-a-half, front bumpers of both cars struggled for the opportunity to win. _

_But, it was Dom's car that skidded to an abrupt stop first, Brian's just a split second after his. With one hand on the wheel, Dom turned over to looked to his opponent and smiled, cockily. "DT's. Nine a.m."_

_Brian nodded and made an illegal U-turn, speeding back the way he'd come._

_Dom's tight grip on the steering wheel, loosened. "Little fucker almost had me."_

_Letty chuckled. "Yeah, I saw. He's good."_

_Saturday, 8:58AM_

_The first time that Brian had laid eyes on Mia Toretto was that morning at the shop attached to DT's garage. She was leaned over the counter by a cash register reading a magazine and sipping Diet Pepsi through a straw._

_"Hey." Brian said, sitting at one of the stools at the counter._

_"Hi. What can I get for you?"_

_"Uh, I'm just waiting for Dom."_

_"Well, I suggest you order something, cause you'll be waiting for a while. They don't come in until ten."_

_"But, he told me-."_

_"Nine." Mia finished._

_Brian nodded._

_Mia smiled and turned to the industrial fridge and opened the clear door. She pulled out another soda, shut the door and walked back to the counter, sitting it in front of Brian. "Welcome to the team."_

_Confusion was written all over Brian's face. _

_"You're being hazed," explained Mia. "He tells you to come in early for awhile. Keep you waiting. Just to see if you're patient enough. Then he'll give you the tasks that no one else wants to do, like picking up car parts from Harry's or getting lunch for the entire team."_

_Brian smiled, his blue eyes, sparkling. "Nice. And, uh, what else should I know?"_

_"That my brother is the greatest man you'll ever meet. He's honest, blunt, and most of all, he cares deeply. So, if he does something that you consider outlandish, chances are, there's a good reason he's doing it."_

_"Good to know." _

_Mia flipped the page in her magazine. "And, you might wanna rethink your love for imports."_

_"Never." Brian laughed._

_End of flashback_

_3:01AM_

Leon walked up the stairs, heading towards his bedroom, guitar in hand. Movement in the darkened hallway caused him to turn to his left.

"You two can't be serious." Leon groaned.

Jesse and Vince were standing outside of Letty's bedroom door with their ears pressed to the door. Vince quickly put his finger to his lips, shushing his long-time friend.

"Dude," Jesse whispered, "they're still going at it."

"Still?" Leon asked, suddenly intrigued. He sat his guitar down, crossed the hall and leaned gently against the door, listening as well.

"Yo, they've been going at it since after dinner." Leon whispered back.

_"Jesus, Letty." They heard Dom groan through gritted teeth._

"Oh shit! She's puttin it on him, bro!" Vince snickered quietly, bumping fists with Jesse.

"Personally, I expect nothing less from Letty." Leon admitted, shrugging one shoulder.

"Good point." Jesse added.

_"Fuck!" Letty moaned._

The three, arguably grown, men snickered childishly. Leon shook his head in disbelief that 'dumb and dumber' had pulled him into their antics.

"I'm going to bed. Something that you two should do, too." He told them, heading towards the secret staircase that led to the attic room.

"You two are not serious right now." Mia hissed quietly, causing Vince and Jesse to jump. She stood at the top of the stairs, holding Brian's hand.

Standing up and eyeing them, Vince crossed his arms over his broad chest. "And just where are you two headed?"

"To bed. Where you should be headed." She responded. "You two are like frat boys, high-five-ing each other while your buddy scores the hot chick."

Unaffected by her words, Jesse and Vince looked at each other and high-fived. Mia shook her head, chuckling.

"Are they still going at it?" She asked.

"Like rabbits."

"No, at least rabbits take food breaks." Brian commented.

"This is true." Jesse agreed.

"Letty's got kryptonite in her pu-."

"Eww! La la la la la." Mia said, putting her fingers in her ears. "Seriously, stop. I do not wanna know what's going on in there. Good night."

"But, it's just getting-." Jesse was silenced by Mia pointing downstairs where their bedrooms were located.

"Goodnight." She repeated.

_**Up Next: Memorial Day festivities. Back to work.**_


	18. Chapter 18 - I - Repetitive History

_**A/N: This chapter is for my girlfriend, Emily, who stays up until 2AM to read these chapters, telling me 'Babe, you're going to kill their little feels with this one'. Haha. This one is for the drama lovers. (:**_

_**Sorry, for not editing this.**_

_** Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 18: Repetitive History**_

_Sunday, Clear Lake, 4:08PM_

It had been about one in the afternoon when close friends had been arriving to the annual Memorial Day barbeque. Dom's friend, Han made an appearance. Letty's friends Leo and Santo showed their faces along with Brian's great friends Rome and Tej. Friends from their past lives as racers were in attendance as well. Wisps of smoke curled through the air from the top of the hot grill. The pool had been cleaned a few of the adults swam or dipped their feet into the cool water. Hip-hop music played loudly on the state-of-the-art stereo system the house offered.

Dom sat in one of the chairs that lined the table accompanied by Rome, Tej, Han and Brian. Letty closed the sliding door, a beer in her hand. She made herself comfortable on Dom's lap and he took the beer from her, drinking from it.

Rome, Tej and Han looked back and forth between each other, before laughing.

"What's so funny?" Dom asked.

"So, wait, Letty, did he just smack that ass or did he like grab it and squeeze?" Tej asked. The table erupted in laughter.

"Ha ha," deadpanned Letty, a hint of a smirk on her face. "_Very _funny."

"You didn't answer the question." Dom smirked.

Letty stood up and smirked, patting Dom's back. "You just _love _the idea of celibacy, don't you?"

"Oooohhhh! That's cold, Letty! Don't do my man like that!" Roman laughed as she walked away.

"What the hell is up with that?" Han inquired.

"What?" Dom asked. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his grin.

"Aw, man. She really put it on you." Rome assessed.

"Oh, nah. That ain't just about the sex." Brian told them.

"He's in_ looove_," teased Tej.

Dom shook his head, chuckling. "You're all idiots."

_8:00PM_

"Dom, I swear to god if you throw me into this pool, I'll kick your macho spaghetti-eating ass!" Letty yelled.

She had been standing with a small group of women, talking, when Dom had scooped her up and flung her over his shoulder. She was half-way to drunk and way past horny, but that wasn't going to stop her smart mouth.

"Oohh, racist are we?" A tipsy Dom replied, smacking Letty's ass.

"I'm an equal opportunity offender." She admitted, earning herself another smack on the ass.

Instead of throwing her in, Dom just walked off the cement edge, directly into the water. Letty broke through to the surface first, pushing her hair back and squeezing water from her eyes. A round of applause was heard as the party-goers laughed at Letty's expense. When Dom rose, Letty laughed and splashed water in his direction.

"Real mature, Toretto."

"You're a good sport, Ortiz." Dom said, pushing her against the wall of the pool. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he gently rubbed her thighs.

"Get a room!" Rome yelled.

"They want us to get a room." Dom repeated, sotto voce. We should give the audience what they want."

"Well, my vagina needs a rest. I think you broke me." Letty pouted.

"I'll kiss it and make it feel better." Dom promised.

Before Letty could respond, a loud _BOOM _sounded and they looked up just in time to see the beginning of the fireworks show.

Dom and Letty hopped out of the water, grabbing fresh towels from the lounge chairs. Mia handed them a cold beer from the cooler. It wasn't long before Rome, Han, Tej, Leo and Santos had joined them.

"_A familia_." Letty suggested, raising her glass. (_To family_.)

"_Familia_." The group of friends resounded, tapping beers against others and turning their attention to the sky.

When nothing else was going right, the moments like these reminded them that they had a real family to call their own. No judgments were passed, no one was frowned upon and they always had a safe haven, no matter what.

_Monday, Labor Day, Los Angeles, 3:54PM_

Crossing back into LA was a good feeling. The mini vacation was rejuvenating and they were heading back to their own homes. Letty had driven to Clear Lake with Dominic, but she decided to drive back with Mia so that the two of them could talk.

Interstate 110 was busy, as it always was, though the traffic congestion was light. Cars moved freely enough to make good time. It was clear that all types of drivers were out; the 'ten and two' drivers were the ones who obeyed the speed limit, used both hands on the wheel. And then there were the 'D-class' drivers, also know as the douchebag-class, who were the type to completely disregard any type of driving law or common courtesy.

"So, how are things going with Brian?" Letty asked, flicking her turn signal to switch lanes. She eased into the next lane of traffic, only to be honked at by the driver of a black Suburban truck. Letty stuck her arm out of the window and flipped him off, nonchalantly.

"Asshole." She muttered.

"Oh my god, Letty, they're going so good. He's such a gentleman. And such a good listener. I mean, where has he been all of my life?"

"Oh my god! Really? I'm so excited. Someone hand me a paper bag!" Letty mocked Mia, and feigned hyperventilation.

"I do not sound like that!" Mia exclaimed, pushing Letty's shoulder. The two women laughed until Letty stopped abruptly.

"What is _this _idiot doing?" Letty questioned, checking the right side mirror of Mia's car.

The Suburba

n had sped up and had begun tailgating. Letty rolled her eyes and only began to drive slower to irritate him.

"Letty, stop provoking." Mia warned.

"He's an asshole."

Feeling a slight tap on the back bumper, Mia turned around to see the tinted car speeding up, yet again. The driver tapped the back bumper harder this time."Who the fuck does this guy think he is?"

"Mia, language." Letty smirked.

"He's ruining my fucking paint job." She growled. Mia's cell phone started to ring. "Hello?"

"Yo, what's going on? What's this asshole doing?" Brian's voice answered.

"Letty flipped him off. Now he's fucking up my car."

"I used my turn signal!" Letty defended herself.

"Tell Letty to pull over!" Dom's voice boomed in Mia's ear.

"Dom says pull over."

Letty rolled her eyes and started to make an easy transition into the middle lane, only to be followed by the truck. "What's _with _this dude?" She wondered aloud.

And as Letty was making her way over into the far right, he beat her to the punch, causing her to collide into the side of his car.

"Jesus!" Letty said, swerving back.

Mia turned to the truck. "What the fuck?!" She yelled at the rolled up, tinted windows.

In response, he swerved over, roughly ramming into the passenger side of Mia's car. They tailspun before landing on the driver's side, causing other drivers to slam on their breaks to avoid a wreck, only to result in a mini-pileup. The black Suburban sped towards the nearest exit with Dom right behind him.

"Leon, pull back and get Letty and Mia!" Dom yelled into his cell phone. He threw in into his lap, switched gears and accelerated after the driver.

Leon stopped suddenly and threw his car into reverse. He dipped through traffic, backwards and halted next to Mia's car. Hopping out, he ran to the passenger side to find the car's two unconscious inhabitants.

"Let! Letty! Mia!" Leon called out. He crouched down and reached into the window, patting Mia's cheek. "Come on, girl. Wake up."

Mia groaned, her head pounding. There was blood coming from her right ear and nose, and she had a slight ringing in her ears. She heard the screeching sounds of another car, nearby. Then Jesse's voice became clear.

"What the hell? Is she okay? Where's Letty?"

"Let-. Letty," grumbled Mia. She felt her body being pulled from the wreckage.

"Hey, man. Is your friend okay?" A random driver asked, stepping from his car.

"Letty?" Jesse prodded, smacking her face lightly. "Letty!"

The Latina didn't stir.

"Call an ambulance!" Jesse yelled.

_**Up Next: To be continued...**_

_**A/N: Cliffhanger! Dum Dum Duuuummmmm!**_


	19. Chapter 18 - II - Aftermath

_**A/N: Guys, this chapter gave me hell on earth! Ugh, I know I said it was going to be up on Monday, but I seriously had the worst time writing this chapter. Anyway, I'm finally semi-satisfied with it and I hope you guys are, too. There will be plenty of Dotty to make up for Letty being hurt (believe me, it hurt me more than it hurt you. Lol). So, enjoy, lovers! (:**_

_Previously: "Letty?" Jesse prodded, smacking her face lightly. "Letty!"_

_The Latina didn't stir._

_"Call an ambulance!" Jesse yelled._

_**Chapter 18 - Part II: Aftermath**_

_Mercy West Hospital, Labor Day, 4:42PM_

"What have we got?" Two resident doctors, both blonde, draped in OR dressings and fresh gloves immediately fell into stride with the two female paramedics. Into the automatic ER doors and into the trauma unit.

The senior paramedic, a brunette, answered first. "Hispanic female, mid- to late-twenties. Victim of a hit-and-run pileup on Interstate one-ten."

"Vitals?"

"Weak pulse. Hypotension; BP's ninety over fifty and dropping steadily."

"Injuries?"

"Dilated pupils and bleeding from the ears, consistent with head trauma. Possible internal bleeding."

"Lift on my count. Ready? Two. Three. Lift."

"Was she the driver?"

"Yes, ma'am." The blonde paramedic replied, nodding once.

The two nurses and two doctors lifted Letty's body off of the paramedic's gurney and onto a rolling, hospital bed.

"Letty? Letty, can you hear me? Oh god, please wake up!" Mia cried. There was still dried blood on her nose and ear.

"Ma'am, I need you to let a nurse check your injuries."

"I'm fine." Mia said.

"Ma'am-."

"I'm fine!" She shouted.

"Alright, well, then I need you to step back and allow us to prep your friend for surgery."

A nurse placed soothing hands onto Mia's shoulders, pulling her away from Letty and towards an examination cot. The nurse shined a light in either of Mia's eyes and asked her to follow her pen. Mia could barely comprehend what was going on. All she could think was that this was the universe's fucked up idea of deja vu.

_Flashback, 4 years ago (2009), Los Angeles, April_

_No one was certain when the race had gone downhill. Maybe it was somewhere between the time that Letty's car flipped over three times and when it landed in a wreck against a concrete column that divided the street into two intersections._

_"Letty!" Dom yelled, running towards the wreckage. Letty had kicked the windshield, shattering the glass and had begun to pull herself out of the car. Dom pulled her the rest of the way, wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her limp back to his car._

_"Jesus, we gotta get her to a hospital." Brian commented. "Look at her leg, Dom."_

_Dom's attention was turned to Letty's left thigh where a six-inch gash was pumping fresh blood._

_"I'm fine. No hospitals. We'll call Monica. She's a nurse." Letty breathed. She was becoming light-headed and her vision blurred, feeling like everything was moving in slow motion._

_"You're going to the hospital, Letty. I'll stay behind with Leon and Vince to deal with the car and the cops." Jesse replied._

_"Shit." Letty muttered seconds before her legs gave way and the NOS in her car exploded._

_"Letty!" Dom caught her before she fell backwards onto the street. He lifted her to his chest and slid her into the back seat of the his car._

_At Mercy West, Letty was rushed to an MRI exam, followed by a CT scan. Dom and Mia paced in the waiting room of the ER trauma center, waiting for word on Letty's condition._

_"What if she doesn't wake up, Dom?" Mia asked, her voice cracking. When she started to cry, Dom pulled her into an embrace, rubbing his sister's back._

_"She's strong. You know that, Mia. Everything's gonna be okay." He said, trying to convince Mia as well as himself._

_End of flashback_

_Meanwhile, somewhere across town..., 5:10PM_

"Dom! Dom! Stop!" Brian yelled. He grabbed at Dom's shoulders, attempting to pull the infuriated Italian off of the idiot who'd caused the accident. Easily shrugging Brian off of him, Dom continued to throw punch after punch.

"Dom, stop! We gotta go check on Letty and Mia!" Brian shouted. Dom paused, his fist raised in the air. He stood up and turned to look at Brian before starting back towards his car. Brian took one last look at the man who was stupid enough to fuck with Dominic Toretto's family. His nose was bloody, he coughed up blood and Brian was sure he'd heard the man's jaw crunch under Dom's fist.

"Let's go, go, go." Brian told Dom, hopping into the car. The Italian started the ignition and sped off. "That was reckless Dom."

"He tried to kill them, Brian!"

"I know that! But you don't need another assault on your record, bro!"

Dom seethed in the driver's seat. He knew that everything Brian was telling him was the truth. And he made a decision.

"Call it in." Dom told him. Brian looked at him for a moment, weighing the sincerity of his words.

"Call it in." Dom repeated.

Brian pulled his cell from under the passenger seat, where it fell earlier, and unlocked the screen. "Shit. Mia's gonna kill me. She called me seventeen times."

He'd have to hold off on calling her back.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Yeah, there's a guy in the alley off of Sunset and Hollywood boulevards. He looks pretty beaten up. He'll probably need paramedics."

_6:56PM_

"Have you talked to Dom yet?" Vince asked Mia.

She shook her head. "He hasn't gotten back to me. Brian either. I'm starting to get worried. With Dom's temper-." Mia looked at the ceiling, trying to refrain from crying. "I just don't want my boyfriend to have to arrest my brother for killing some idiot."

"Brian's not gonna arrest Dom, Mia." Leon told her, rubbing her back. Mia's forearm had been fractured in the accident, as she had held her hand up to protect her face from the shattering window and the airbag inflating.

A doctor in clean OR scrubs walked into the waiting room, observing quickly. "Family of Leticia Ortiz?"

Leon, Jesse, Vince and Mia stood up.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Grayson Ables, resident brain surgeon here at Mercy West. First, I want you all to breathe easy. Ms. Ortiz will be fine."

"Wait, brain surgeon?" Mia asked. "What's wrong with Letty? Where is she?"

"When Ms. Ortiz was admitted, she suffered from hypotension which is low blood pressure stemming from her arteries. It happens when the heart is working overtime and the arteries feel the pressure of the pumping blood. It's usually due to trauma on the body. There was a slight cranial pressure. We were able to relieve the pressure by drilling a extremely small hole into her skull, allowing excess blood and fluid to be removed.

"Once I relieved the pressure on her brain, her vitals started to stabilize and her blood pressure rose to a desired one-ten over seventy and it's sure to rise a little higher within the next couple of hours. Also, you should know that she cracked two ribs and her ankle was twisted. Unfortunately, twisting her ankle had been the only way that the paramedics would be able to retrieve her from the accident if they wanted to save her entire leg."

"Can we see her? Is she awake?"

"Yes. And no." Dr. Ables nodded her head, gesturing for the small family to follow her to Letty's recovery room.

"She'll be out for a about another hour or two. Just be patient. Eveything went well and she's definitely one strong woman."

Jesse smiled. "You have no idea."

Seven o'clock rolled around and Dom and Brian ran towards the admittance station, demanding to see Letty. The attendings gave them her room number and they were off.

When Brian opened the door, Mia jumped up from her chair, crossing the room. "Where the hell were you?!"

"Mia, we're okay. How's Letty doing?"

"She's fine." Letty's groggy voice answered. The entire room got quiet and they turned to the broken Italian.

"Letty." Mia started.

"I have to talk to Dom."

"After we call the nurse."

"Dom. Now." She commanded.

Mia, Jesse, Vince and Leon cleared the room. On his way out, Brian shut the door behind them.

"Letty, I-."

"What did you do?" She inquired.

Letty knew him, knew what he was capable of. She'd seen it firsthand when his father was killed. It terrified her. It worried her. But, most of all, it made her love him more, seeing him love so deeply that he was willing to end someone else's life in retaliation.

"What. Did. You. Do?" She repeated herself.

"Letty, I had to."

Letty sighed and turned her head away from him to look out the window. Her eyes began to water.

Dom crossed the room and stood by her bedside, grabbing her hand, gently. "He almost killed you. And my sister. I couldn't just let that go."

When Letty opened her mouth to speak, her voice was pleading and worried. "Dom, they're gonna come after you."

"Letty, don't worry about that. As long as you're safe, I don't care about anything. You're okay. Mia's okay. That's all that matters."

"Dom-."

Dom leaned over her bed. "Can I just have a kiss, please?"

Letty looked up at him, a tear falling down her cheek. He kissed her lips, softly. "Don't worry."

_**Up Next: Actions have consequences.**_

_**A/N: A lot of people were scared that Letty was going to have amnesia. But, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't.**_


	20. There's Something About Letty

_**A/N: Please, put down your torches and pitchforks, k? This chapter shouldn't affect our relationship too bad, lovers. *evil snickers***_

_**P.S. I've been watching all 8 seasons of Grey's Anatomy that Netflix has to offer. So, that's why there's some medical jargon in this chapter. Lol. Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 19: There's Something About Letty**_

_Tuesday, Mercy West Hospital, 4:15AM_

Pain shot through Letty's ribcage, as she attempted to turn in her sleep. Her eyes flew open and she looked around the room, unsure of where she was.

"Mia?" She uttered into the darkness. "Dom?"

The small lamp by her bedside switched on and Dom's face appeared next to her.

"Hey. Want me to call a doctor?"

Letty's hand slowly made its way to her head. She winced at the pain that shot through her abdomen.

Dom's body tensed and he moved his chair closer to her bed. He grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. "Let?"

"Yeah?"

"What where are you?"

"Don't be annoying. Obviously the hospital."

"What's your mom's name?"

"Lana. What the hell are you asking me for?"

"Do you know how you got here?"

Letty head tilted a little, her eyebrows furrowing. "Uh, not really."

"You were in a car accident."

Letty nodded, as if suddenly remembering. "Is Mia okay? Where is she?"

"She's okay. Minor concussion, but she refused to be treated until she knew you were alright."

Dom's hand squeezed the control that signaled Letty's nurse, Jack. A few moments later, the dirty blonde, blue-eyed male nurse entered the room with a smile on his face and Dr. Ables directly behind him.

"Hi, Letty. I'm Dr. Ables. I performed your hemicraniectomy."

"Did the surgery go well?" Letty asked.

"I do believe so. Follow my light." Dr. Ables commanded, gently. She moved her eyelight to the left and then the right, and Letty's eyes followed in perfect time. "Good. Do you have any questions for me?"

"Yeah. What the hell happened?"

"You were in a car accident." Dom repeated himself.

"Where's Mia? Was she hurt?"

Dom looked up at Dr. Ables. "She just asked me those same questions just before you got here."

"That's normal after brain surgery. It should wear off in a couple of minutes."

"But her mind seemed clear yesterday when I spoke with her. How is it that she remembers our names and who we are?"

Dr. Ables took Dom's words into consideration. "Letty, I'd like for you to remember three words, okay?"

"Fine. Whatever."

"Dog. House. Car." Dr. Ables pronounced each word clearly. "Got it?"

"Dog. House. Car. Got it." Letty replied. Dr. Ables looked at her watch. Fifteen seconds past. Then thirty.

"Alright, Letty. What were those words?"

Letty opened her mouth to speak and then closed it slightly. "Ah-."

"Come on, Let. What were the three words Dr. Ables just gave you?" Dom's voice wavered between frustration and concern.

"I don't remember."

"Letty, who am I?'

"Dr. Ables. And Jack. And Dom." Letty replied, pointing to them each as she said their names. "Would you like me to alternate pointing to my nose and saying the alphabet backwards, as well?"

"Don't be a smartass." Dom told her. Dr. Ables put a comforting hand on Dom's arm.

"Let's try one more time. Remember these three words: cat. Boy. Girl."

"Cat. Boy. Girl. Okay."

Dr. Ables looked at her watch again. Fifteen seconds past. "Okay. Give me those words, Letty."

"Uh, cat. Uhm-."

"Just think." The good doctor prodded, gently.

Letty looked between Dom, Dr. Ables and nurse Jack. "What's going on? How the hell did I get here?"

"You were in a car accident."

"Oh, god. Mia. Where's Mia? Is she hurt?"

"Mia's fine." Dom started, unclenching his fists. He looked to Dr. Ables. "You broke her!"

"Mr. Toretto, calm down. She's not broken. We'll simply run another CAT scan to-."

"Her freaking memory is resetting every thirty seconds. She can't even remember-."

The machines in Letty's room began to beep erratically. The three visitors in the room looked over to the brunette patient just in time to see her eyes roll back into her head and her body start to seize violently.

"Jack, call a code blue!" Dr. Ables shouted. She pushed Letty's bed flat and pulled the pillows from under her head. While Jack called in the code, Dr. Ables pulled the stethoscope from around her neck and started to listen to various sections of Letty's chest. It wasn't long before six different nurses and another doctor began crowding the room, pushing Dom further and further away from Letty.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Starting chest compressions now." Jack stated.

"She's in cardiac arrest. Get him outta here!" Another doctor growled through clenched teeth.

"Come on, Letty! Fight! Fight, damn it!" Dr. Ables yelled.

"BP's sixty over forty." A nurse announced.

"Any lower and I lose her. And that is _not _happening today, people!" Dr. Ables yelled. "Stop chest compressions. Paddles, now! Charge to two-hundred."

The paddles were given to her and rubbed the gel in quickly before yelling, 'Clear!', and placing them against Letty's chest. The Latina's body jerked and there was a two-second pause as they studied her unchanging vital signs.

"Charge to three-hundred. Clear!" Again, the paddles were pressed against either side of Letty's chest and her body jerked.

A five-second pause. Letty's BP began to climb steadily. "There she is."

"She's still not breathing on her own. We need to get her to an MRI machine and then to an OR. _Now, people_!"

She was he was handed an intubation tube. While the doctor connected the tube in Letty's mouth to a manual compressor, Dom was pushed to the far corner of the room as they began to wheel Letty out of the room.

The next four hours consisted of Dominic pacing back and forth across Letty's hospital room floor, alone. By eight-thirty, the start of visiting hours, he was joined by Mia, Leon, Jesse, Brian and Vince. Dom explained what had happened in the wee hours of the morning. Jesse said a prayer. And the six of them took turns pacing and praying, praying and pacing for the next two-and-a-half hours. Finally, an unconscious Letty was wheeled back into the room by two interns; one short and the other tall.

"How is she? What happened?" Leon asked first.

"Dr. Ables will be here shortly to fill you in on the details. However, you should know that the surgery went perfectly fine." The short, thin intern responded.

As promised, Dr. Ables finished scrubbing out and changing into clean scrubs before she entered Letty's room, ten minutes later.

"Hello, everyone. I just want you all to breathe easily. Letty will be just fine. When we went into her brain this second time, we saw that we had not removed all of the fluid that was causing the pressure to Letty's brain. Because of that, her brain swelled, affecting her short term memory."

"So, she's fine now?"

"We'd like to keep her here for a few days of observation. But, otherwise, yes," Dr. Ables confirmed, "she is fine now."

Sighs of relief went around the room.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Ables." Mia said, shaking her hand.

"It's my pleasure." She replied, shaking everyone else's hands before taking her leave.

"I'll get a nurse to bring in a cot for you, Dom. You've been up all night."

"I'm fine."

"Dom." Mia warned him. "Letty's gonna be out for at least a few more hours. Just get some rest. She'd want you to."

There was no arguing with Mia and, as promised, a cot was brought into the room and Dom laid on it. And it wasn't long before he was dozing off.

_**A/N #2: I'll be leaving for an impromptu trip to Miami from June 6 - 9. I'm going to try to get you guys another update before I leave. (:**_


	21. Part III - Good News

_**A/N: I always enjoy updating this story because of you guys. The response you guys are giving me is just epic! Thank you so much. And some of you guys wanted a Mia and Letty conversation, but I'm saving that until next chapter because it's gonna be a long, deep conversation. (:**_

_Fun fact__**: did you guys know that the Toretto family is actually supposed to be of Cuban descent, not Italian. Vin Diesel said so in an interview. If you want the link to the interview send me a message here.**_

_**Anywhosie, here's...**_

_**Part III**_

_**Chapter 20: Good News**_

In the four days following Letty's hospitalization, she was becoming antsy. Wednesday was pretty easy, thanks to the _Top Gear _marathon on TV.

Thursday consisted of tests, needles, more tests, and more needles. Not exactly Letty's idea of fun, but Dom had surprised her with smuggled in Chinese takeout for dinner. That helped. Sort of.

By Friday, however, her fuse was short and she was getting ready to explode. When Dom had leaned down to give her a good morning kiss, she'd gripped the collar of his t-shirt, roughly. "Get me out of here or I swear to god I will dig a tunnel with a spoon, _Shawshank Redemption_-style. Got it, baldy?"

"Alright. Alright." Dom agreed, prying her hands from his shirt.

Somehow he'd made it happen after consulting with Dr. Ables. Before she allowed Letty to leave, however, the doctor made Letty promise that she would return to the hospital if she felt as if she were forgetting anything. It wasn't long after that they Letty was wiggling into her favorite pair of black skinny jeans, a tank top and Dr. Marten boots, with Mia's help. The youngest Toretto kept reminding her that two cracked ribs and a twisted ankle would take more than a few days to recover from. But Letty wasn't listening. As long as she was going home to sleep in her own bed, she could care less.

_Saturday, Los Angeles, 8:30AM_

"Dom! Dom!" Mia yelled. She'd let herself into the guys' apartment with her key, frantically looking for her brother.

"Whoa. Where's the fire?" Dom asked, peeking his head out of the kitchen.

"Letty's getting dressed! When I asked her where she was going, she said 'to work'." Mia replied. She was already pulling Dom's arm back towards the door.

Dom sighed and sat his orange juice on the counter. "Stubborn ass woman."

Back in Mia and Letty's apartment, the Latina was struggling to put her right arm in her t-shirt, wincing every so often.

"This is bullshit." She muttered to herself.

"Ay, woman. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dom pushed opened her bedroom door.

"Getting ready for work."

Dom laughed. "Yeah, that's not happenin'."

"Says who?"

"Me. Dr. Ables. Mia. The list goes on and on."

"Yeah, well, Dr. Ables isn't here. And neither you nor Mia can beat me in a fight. So." Letty shrugged, finally getting her arm into the shirt.

"Why are you so damn stubborn?"

"Look, if I don't work, I don't get paid. I don't paid, I don't make rent." Letty told him. She sat on the foot of her bed.

"You're gonna make rent." Dom replied.

"I don't want handouts."

"Who said anything about a handout?"

"Dom." She sighed.

"Letty." He responded, equally as exasperated. "Just relax. You are the most frustrating person I've ever met."

"_Believe me_, the feeling is mutual."

Dom paused for a moment. "Are we having an argument?"

Letty gently lie back onto her bed, her feet still resting on the floor and her hair fanning around her head. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "No."

Dom moved to stand in front of her. He leaned down, resting his hands on either side of Letty's head. Looking her in the eyes, Dom smiled. "What can I do to keep you at home? In bed. Resting."

"Stay home with me. In bed. Resting." Letty suggested.

Dom chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I can do that."

_Mia & Letty's apartment, 5:31PM_

When Mia came home from work, she scanned through her mail as she walked down the hallway to Letty's room.

"Ow, Dom. Don't make me laugh." Letty was saying as Mia walked in. She leaned against the doorway, opening up a bill unaware of the struggle for the remote that was happening right before her eyes.

"Hey, you two."

"Hey, Mia." Letty greeted. She continued with her attempt to pry the thin, black remote from Dominic's grasp, without hurting herself.

"Hey, Mi."

"Are you guys hungry? I could order-." Mia's sentence died in her throat when she looked up from the piece of paper she was reading. "Good grief. Look at this room. I feel like I just walked into a frat house. This is disgusting."

There on the bed was a closed box of pizza with two glass plates sitting atop of it. Two bowls of unfinished cereal and milk sat on Letty's bedside table, along with two glasses; one holding lukewarm, and probably flat, Pepsi. A family-sized bag of sour cream and onion chips sat in Letty's lap, and crumbs were all over the black duvet.

"Relax, Mia. Dom was just about to clean up." Letty explained.

"I was?"

"Work with me, man." Letty rolled her eyes.

Mia scoffed and walked deeper into the room. She cleared the dirty dishes first; taking them to the sink to be rinsed and thrown into the dishwasher at a later time. Next she opened the box of pizza, examining the remaining slice of mushroom with chicken and spinach, before closing it back and heading back to the kitchen to throw it out.

Finally, she grabbed the bag of chips out of Letty's lap and thrust them into the Latina's hands before pushing her brother off of the bed and removing the black duvet, carefully, trying not to spill any crumbs onto the carpet. Mia threw the blanket into the laundry room for washing, grabbed a fresh on out of the hall closet and unfolded it. She spread it out over Letty's bed before pushing Dom back onto the bed and leaving the room, shaking her head.

"You two are pigs. Your children will be piglets." Mia commented on her way out.

"Thanks, Mia!" Letty yelled.

"Whatever." She replied.

"Love you too." Dom shouted.

"Mhm." Mia shot back, failing to stop the grin on her face.

With Dom lying on his side at the foot of the bed, his back was to Letty so he could see the TV. Letty sat with her back propped against the headboard, two fluffy, yet firm pillows behind her. They had been watching, or rather critiquing, a black and white film; Letty's choice, of course.

There were two things that Letty enjoyed about being with Dom. The first was that they didn't always have to be cuddled up and kissing and hugging in order for her to feel the affections and love that he had for her. Just being in the same room with him, she was happy, and so was he. When they were together, they just... _were_.

The second was that Dominic Toretto was secretly a mashmallow when it came to her. Letty had no interest in watching _Some Like It Hot _for the umpteenth time, but she'd put it on anyway, assuming he'd change the channel. But he hadn't. In fact, he'd actually gone and grabbed the bag of chips to munch on during the film. Whatever she wanted was good enough for him. If Letty was content, then he was as well.

"Our kids won't be piglets." Dom muttered.

"Oh, god. Am I already pregnant in your head right now?" Letty teased.

Dom turned his head so he could see her face. "No. I'm just saying. Our kids will probably be neat freaks."

"Or worse; they'll actually be... dare I say it?... _proper_." Almost in unison, they're faces turned up in mock disgust.

"With table manners." Dom added.

"I shudder at the thought." Letty closed her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Me too." Dom laughed. Letty chuckled, before wincing. She gently placed a hand on her ribs, pressing softly.

"I'm gonna go get you an ice pack."

Letty nodded and he was off.

In the kitchen, Mia was hanging up her cell phone. She slid it on the counter and opened the cabinet below her for a saucepan.

"Do you guys want spaghetti and meatballs or something?" She asked.

"No, we've been grubbin' all day. All Letty needs is a hot bath and then an ice pack."

Mia smiled and turned towards her brother. "Are you gonna give her a foot massage as well?"

"If I didn't know any better, Mia, I'd think you were calling me a pussy."

"So," Mia ignored his comment, "things are becoming pretty hot and heavy between you two. Not like that's new or anything."

Dom pulled the ice pack out of the freezer. He squeezed at the frozen, cobalt blue liquid inside. Turning back to his sister, he squinted his eyes a tad. "Where are you going with this Mia?"

Before the end of Dom's sentence was out of his mouth, Mia was asking, "Where's the ring, Dom?"

"What ring?"

"The ring that you were going to propose to Letty with."

Dom raised his eyebrows. "Mia, we just started... I don't even know what we are right now. I mean, I hope we're dating, but-."

"Dating schmating. You need to start thinking about putting a ring on it, bro." Patting his shoulder, condescendingly, Mia continued, quickly, "I'm just saying, once you two have worked out the rest of your issues, you need to settle down. In the past two years, I've seen you sleep with women who are cheap, tawdry and extremely unattractive. Honestly, bro, I don't know what beer goggles you were looking through at the time, but-."

"Get to your point." Dom growled through clenched teeth.

"Find that ring. Or go buy a new one. And at the right moment, propose to Letty. Hell, for all I care, you can move in here and I can move across the hall with Brian."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are not co-habitating with O'Connor."

"What's wrong with Brian?"

"Nothing. Except for the fact that you moving in with him would be a constant reminder that my best friend is hitting it with my little sister. As far as I'm concerned, you're still a virgin."

Mia opened her mouth to speak.

"And I don't want to hear otherwise."

"Put a ring on it, Dom." Mia said, wiggling her left ring finger in his face.

"Who's putting a ring on what?" Letty asked, stepping into the kitchen. She smiled, innocently. "I just wanted to see what was going on with my ice pack."

"Uh, piston rings." Mia intercepted the question. "Brian was telling me about fried piston rings on his boss's car."

Letty nodded, understanding.

"Here. Uh, I'm going to go take a shower." Dom said, handing Letty the ice pack and heading out of the kitchen. When they both heard the door shut fully, Mia looked at Letty.

"You shouldn't be hopping down the hall on that ankle."

When Letty didn't respond, opting to simply stare at Mia, the younger brunette looked away, uncomfortable. She knew what the Latina was doing. Throughout the years, Mia had deemed Letty's staring as the "Stare of Truth".

"Letty, don't make me."

"I'm not making you do anything."

"Your eyes are like... piercing my soul right now."

"They are not."

"Are too."

Casually, Letty crossed her arms. "So, Dom was going to propose to me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When?"

"Letty, I have no idea what you're-."

"Spill, Mia. _Now_."

_**Up Next: Mia and Letty have... a girl talk.**_

_**A/N #2: Dum dum duuuummmm. Lol. Anyways, I'm off to Miami tomorrow! I hope this will hold you guys over until late Sunday, early Monday. Thank you for the safe travel wishes! You guys are awesome! xoxo -Desi**_


	22. Drunken Pumpkins

_**A/N: Guys, get your asses down to Miami ... like NOW! Lol. It was amazing! As promised, I've got a new update for you lovers. PS, I didn't do lyrics in this chapter BUT, I suggest YouTube-ing "Papi Chulo" by Lorna. That's what I was blasting when I wrote the end of this chapter! (: Enjoy!**_

_Previously: Casually, Letty crossed her arms. "So, Dom was going to propose to me?"_

_"What are you talking about?" _

_"When?"_

_"Letty, I have no idea what you're-." _

_"Spill, Mia. Now."_

_**Chapter 21: Drunken Pumpkins**_

_Flashback, 2 years ago (2011), Venice Beach, Los Angeles_

_Though the beach had closed at midnight, she'd illegally hopped over the waist-high stone wall and landed in the warm sand. With the neck of a half-empty, condensating Corona between her pointer and middle fingers. A warm wind blew steadily, pushing her hair back over her shoulders and whipping the open sides of her boyfriend-style cardigan sweater against her arms. Letty walked closer and closer to the edge of the shore, freely, because before she hopped out of her car, she'd removed her Sperry shoes and rolled her dark grey skinny jeans to her calves. The freezing water served as her own form of punishment, not walking back to the warmth of the sand until her toes were numb. _

_When dawn had arrived, Letty had not known. She'd been sitting in the sand for hours; not really thinking. Not really doing much of anything. Two days prior, her eyes had become so dry from crying, that she'd had to remove her contacts and settle for her black, thin-framed glasses. At the moment, she'd pushed them up as she rubbed something out of her eye, before standing back up and heading back to the water. _

_Wrenching something from the snug front pocket of her skinny jeans, she opened the small box and pulled the silver ring from it. She reread the inscription for the millionth time. "__RIDE OR DIE__". Letty kissed the ring, placed it back into the box and cocked her arm back before throwing it as far as she could into the gently moving waves._

_Turning back around, Letty held picked up her long since emptied beer bottle and started towards her car. She figured she mind as well get started on apartment hunting. If she never saw Dominic Toretto again, for as long as she lived, she would be a happy woman. _

_At least, that's what she'd tried to convince herself of as she turned the keys in the ignition._

_End of flashback_

_Mia & Letty's apartment, Los Angeles, Saturday, 6:30PM_

Mia had helped Letty hobble back to her bedroom and made sure the older woman was comfortable before sitting next to her in the bed.

"So?" Letty asked. She placed the ice pack against her ribcage, wincing at the abrupt cold against her warm skin.

"So what?" Mia replied as innocently as possible.

"Come on, Mia, spill. Please?"

"I really think it's something that Dom should be telling you." Mia admitted.

"Mia." Letty pleaded. She looked over at the younger Toretto, giving her best puppy dog eyes she could muster.

"Letty, don't make me." Mia whined.

Letty sighed. She would never ask Mia to defy the sibling code of never telling the other's secrets.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mia inquired, looking at Letty seriously.

"Of course. What's up?" She replied, grabbing the recently abandoned bag of chips.

"Since you and Dom have gotten back together, does anything feel different?"

"As far as..." Letty said, in more of a question form.

"Everything. Let's say hypothetically," Mia shrugged, nonchalantly, "you found a girl in his tomorrow after a party or something, would you trust him? I mean, would you believe him if he said he had no idea who she was?"

Letty's eyes widened and her head, slowly turned, Exorcist-style to look at her best friend. "You knew?" She pointed an accused finger at Mia.

"Knew what?" Mia asked. The nervous waver in her voice told Letty the truth.

"Mia, tell me you haven't known for the past two years."

"I haven't. I swear. I only just found out."

"When?"

"The day you and Dom didn't come home for dinner." Mia confessed. "But you still haven't answered my question."

Letty thought for a few moments. Truly thought about her answer. "When history repeats itself, you've gotta remember the lesson you learned the first time."

"And what lesson did you learn the first time?"

"Not to be so damn impulsive about shit. Not to judge people based on their past indiscretions." She crunched on a chip, loudly. "_However_, I'd still kick the girl's ass."

"Why?"

"Cause I didn't get to the last time." Letty grinned at Mia.

"What was that about 'being impulsive about shit'?" Mia chuckled. She reached her hand into Letty's chip bag and stole a few."

"I'm just saying, maybe I would have felt a lot better about things if I'd been able to just reach over and slap someone. Preferrably Monica." Letty shrugged.

"So violent."

"That's why I'm the best fighter in my boxing classes."

Mia shook her head. "It's obvious that you two still love each other. But are you in love with him?"

Letty's smile reached her eyes and her olive cheeks flushed slightly. "Oh god, Mia. Are we really having this conversation?"

She looked at her bed companion, shyly. Mia simply nodded.

"Yes, okay? God, I'm in love with Dominic Toretto. Are you in love with Brian?"

Mia's face flushed red. "Uh-."

"That's a yes." Letty decided for her. She patted Mia's leg and smiled.

"Shut up. This is supposed to be about you and Dom." Mia laughed. "I'm glad you two are back together. I think you guys are soul mates."

"Oh lord." Letty narrowed her eyes.

Unknowingly to each of the women, Dom had been standing outside of Letty's door. He'd come back into the apartment after his shower and wound up catching the end of their conversation. He smiled to himself and quietly headed back towards his apartment.

_A few weeks later, Halloween, Los Angeles, 7:29PM_

In the past month of so, Letty had been calmer. One could have deduced that her tranquil energy had come from more than just the 'all-clear' from her doctor. Ever since she'd openly admitted to Mia, and herself, that she was and always had been in love with Dom, Letty felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. There was a new pep in her step, she laughed louder and longer, and was never as happy as when she was working on a car or hanging with her little family.

October had come and nearly gone and here they were about to celebrate all-hollow's eve. Costume parties were not her thing and she had refused to dress up for one, no matter how many times Mia begged her. Until three days prior, when Mia came home with a customized costume that even Letty couldn't refuse.

"Letty! Come on!" Mia yelled from the living room.

"I'm coming!" Letty shouted back.

A knock on the front door had Mia crossing the room and open it. All of her boys stood in front of her, dressed up; Dom as a construction worker, Brian as a cop, and Vince had thrown a cowboy hat on his head. Leon had a red t-shirt that read 'Thing 1' and Jesse's shirt ready 'Thing 2'.

"Very nice. I like it." Mia nodded her approval.

"Check you out. You look... wow." Brian smirked, giving her a quick kiss on her lips.

"Why thank you. You like?" She asked, spinning around. Her extremely short, flowy ivory baby-doll dress fluttered as she spun. The material twisted over one tanned shoulder. Her long, dark hair was pin straight and a gold laurel-leaf crown had been pinned securely atop of her head. Mia's makeup was light and natural and she'd stepped into three-inch strappy heels that buckled around her ankle.

"Uh, the Village People called. They want their clothes back." Letty smirked, walking into the living room. All eyes turned to the Latina woman and the room went silent. There wasn't a jaw that hadn't dropped, Mia's included.

"Whoa." Vince commented, first.

Letty stood in front of them in a navy blue sexy mechanic's jumpsuit. The normal long-sleeved and pants had been swapped for short, cuffed shorts and sleeves. A slight hint of Letty's ass was showing and the top three buttons were nonexistent, causing Letty's black bra and perfect cleavage to be visible. Her white nametag read 'Letty' in red, cursive letters. She'd even flipped and curled her hair, in a Farrah-Fawcett-esque style. On her feet were vibrant red and white Sperry shoes.

Every eye in the room scanned up Letty's long, toned legs, thin waist and up her ample breasts towards her dark eyes.

"What?" She asked, annoyed.

"Whoa." Vince repeated.

"Yeah, what he said." Dom replied, pointing at Vince.

"Shut up," teased Letty. "Let's go."

_West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnival, 10:15PM_

There was really no better place to be on October thirty-first than the largest Halloween street part in the world. From six to ten p.m., a little more than five-hundred-thousand people and counting had turned up in the streets of Santa Monica Boulevard to dance, get drunk, dry hump and show off their sluttiest costumes. Though most people stayed well past midnight. A small parade drove a fifteen block radius; mid-way through, there was always a few costume contests. Music blasted from hundreds of different DJ booth set-ups, different varities of food were served from vendors and belligerent assholes stumbled around, beer sloshing from their cups onto unsuspecting passerby.

After the Carnival, the LA clubs were slam packed. If one did not purchase tickets a month or two prior, they'd be standing in line for hours. Luckily for the team, that's exactly what Mia had done.

"Woooooo!" The crowd screamed as a humongous parade float filled with half-naked men from Chippendale's rode by, thrusting their hips to the thumping house music that played. Dom knew it was time to go head to a club when, behind Letty, four rowdy frat boys kept pushing her obnoxiously during their horseplay. At first Letty didn't seem to mind; half a million people had been crowded in less than fifteen blocks in Los Angeles. There was a bound to be some pushing and shoving.

The last time, however, Letty's entire body was thrust forward, colliding with Mia's and causing Letty to bite her tongue. She turned around and pulled her arm back. The blow would have connected if Dom didn't grab her wrist just in time.

"Come on, tough guy." He said into her ear. Dom tapped Vince and pointed back towards a club. His best friend nodded and grabbed the others to follow suit. Letty jumped on Dom's back and his large hands wrapped around her thighs, while hers playfully rubbed his head. Reaching behind him, Dom squeezed her ass.

"Don't start anything you can't finish." She said.

_Club Mayan, Los Angeles, 11:54PM_

Club Mayan was a salsa club that was home to three different levels of dance floors.. The first floor had a hip-hop DJ who played plenty of old-school hip-hop mixed with some new school rap. The second and third levels played a mix of Latin/Tejano music. With plenty of seating, a balcony, full bars on every level and outside standing space, Club Mayan was definitely a nice spot to get drunk and let your hair down.

Letty and Mia had been taking tequila and vodka shots since they'd arrived and they were already half-way drunk. Vince and Leon were catching up, while Jesse was flirting with one of the beautiful barmaids. Dom had been pulled onto the dance floor by a flat-chested sorority girl who was so drunk she could barely stand. Letty had been so amused by the ditzy brunette that she shrugged her shoulders and turned back around, grabbing the triple shot of Hennessy that she's ordered.

"You're not going to go save him?" Brian shouted to Letty over the thumping rap song. Letty grinned wickedly and shook her head.

"He's a big boy. Besides, look at him; he's having a blast." Letty laughed back. They turned towards the dance floor, watching at Dom was trying politely to keep the girl's hands at her side and help her remain standing, simultaneously.

"Is that liquid evil in your glass?" Mia snorted. Letty simply shrugged. Dom looked up to locked eyes with Brian, silently demanding his help with the intoxicated woman.

"_Ewwww_!" Mia, Letty and Brian exclaimed in unison. The skinny brunette had leaned away from Dom and released the bile that had risen from her throat.

"You have permission to put me in a rehab program if I ever get that drunk." Letty told Mia.

"I'll hold you to that." Mia smirked.

Brian finally gave Dom a hand, helping the girl to the front of the club. Brian told the bouncer to hail the girl a cab, a nearly impossible task with the Carnival still happening. She'd slurred out her address before passing out in the bouncer's arms.

By one a.m., Letty knocked back the last of her Hennessy and ordered a bottled water, knowing she'd regret mixing light and dark liquor in the morning. A fiery lust filled her eyes when she pulled Dom up the stairs to the second level of the club. They flashed their neon orange bracelets at the hostess standing there and she nodded her head with a graceful smile.

"_Voy a ense__ñ__arie algunas cosas_, papa." Letty told him as she pushed him into the lively dance floor. (_I'm going to teach you something things_).

Dom had only gathered a couple of words from Letty's quickly articulated sentence. But it didn't matter. Because his knees had nearly buckled when that sweet, feminine husk hit his ear and mingled with the rough smell of Hennessy that she'd been sipping on. She pressed her lips against his before pulling away.

Holding onto his hand, Letty started moving her hips in time to the fast Spanish beat. Putting one foot in front of the other and then reversing the process quickly, Letty spun around with Dom's hand holding hers above her head. She laughed at her boyfriend's stiff posture.

"You gotta let loose. Just feel it." She yelled to him.

"I'd rather just watch you."

Letty used one hand to whipped her hair to one side before using his hand to turn around again, her hips still going. She pushed her ass into his crotch and bent over before slowly bring her body back up to lean against his. When turned around and moved away, Dom roughly pulled her flush to him.

A quiet "oh!" escaped her lips.

His large left hand squeezed her ass hard while the other tangled itself in her hair and tilted her face to his. Dom leaned down, his lips brushing past her cheek and stopped at her ear. "Bathroom. Now."

Letty's eyes widened, but she turned and pulled his hand, leading him through the winding crowd.

_**Up Next: Some things never change!**_

_**A/N #2: All mistakes are mine. Sorry guys. Of course this chapter would have been posted sooner but my internet is acting stupid today of all days. *rolls eyes***_


	23. Means A Lot

_**A/N: Short and sweet, but I always feel like we forget about Jesse and I personally loved the character. Also, I'm working on two new AU Dotty stories! So, once this is over, I'll be beginning to post those, and I hope you guys will check them out! One of them I'm REALLY excited about! (: Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 22: Means A Lot**_

_Sunday, early-November, Echo Park, 1:54PM_

Letty and Jesse sat on the slide at a children's park. They'd used to frequent the park quite lot in their teenage years. It was their place to just sit and talk about anything and everything, or nothing at all. In the distance, they could see Belmont High School; the evil place that held their diplomas hostage until they completed PE along with seven other menial courses. For a cool, Sunday afternoon, the park was deserted, allowing Letty and Jesse to eat their fast food in peace and quiet.

"So, what's been up with you, lately?" Letty inquired.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Jesse said, biting into his messy burger. Letty shoved three fries into her mouth and wiped the mayo off of the Jesse's bottom lip with her napkin.

"Nothing, man. Just livin', ya know?"

Jesse nodded his head. "Things with you and Dom seem to be at an all-time high. That's good to see."

Letty rolled her eyes, playfully, but smiled all the same. "Yeah. It's different than how we were the first time we were together. _We're_ different. More... mature."

"Yeah, I can see that. Maybe that breakup was a blessing in disguise."

It was Letty's turn to nod in understanding. "I didn't think of it like that, but you're definitely right. It was. By the way, how are things going with that bartender from Halloween?"

"It's going. I actually thought she'd just be a fling. But, I guess not. She's actually pretty sweet." Jesse looked at his watch. "I'm gonna meet up with her in a couple of hours."

"That's good. When you're happy, I'm happy," confessed Letty.

Jesse had always been like a little brother to her. Most people misunderstood Jesse; took his kindness for weakness. But Letty knew better. Despite his aggressive ADD and not being able to fully focus on one task at a time, unless it was a car or math class, Jesse was one of the most intelligent and clever people that Letty had ever met. She stood up for him when he was picked on in high school and even when it came to the team.

There were plenty of times when Dom or Vince would ream Jesse out because of a simple mistake he made around the house. And Letty was always right there, pointing her finger in their face and yelling louder than them. Or she was cocking her fist back to punch one of them in the chest for making Jesse feel low. There always was and always would be a soft spot in her heart just for Jesse because he was the brother she never had but always wanted.

Besides Mia, Jesse had always been there for Letty through it all.

_Flashback, 2 years ago (2011), Los Angeles, July_

_Letty had only called two people to help her move into her new apartment. It was a spacious two bedroom place that was a nice distance from the old house and her old life. She wanted to start fresh. Begin a new life, independent from Dominic and the family. In the month-and-a-half since Dom and Letty's __**official **__breakup, Letty had managed to find a new job at Pep Boys during the day and bartending at a gentleman's club at night because she had no intention of ever working for Dominic Toretto again. She continued to work on friends' cars and some of her old clients from the garage made the forty-five minute trip from Echo Park to her new place because they specificaly wanted Letty._

_Just as Letty had found the new apartment, Mia swung by to give Letty her last paycheck, or rather cash. And though her pride was telling her to burn the money and leave it sitting on Dom's doorstep, her head was telling her to be smart and accept the blessing. It was evident that Dom had added his own paycheck into the stack as well, and it was enough to cover her first and last month's rent as well as her security deposit. _

_When move-in day came around, Letty reached out to Mia and Jesse only. She knew that they could keep a secret and she didn't want Dom to know where her new place was for fear of him showing up and trying to win her back. And he was just brave enough to do it. Especially since he was still leaving her drunken text messages and voicemails, demanding that she speak to him. And Letty, well, she just wasn't strong enough to __**not **__fall into old patterns with him. Not yet. But she was getting there. _

_For the first two months in her new place, Jesse would stay the night, sporadically, in the furnished guest bedroom. He'd stay up late and eat unhealthy foods with her or watch TV or just talk. Mia would come over occasionally, bringing her mail that still somehow got routed to the house or just to talk. Sometimes, she'd force Letty to go food shopping or made dinner from the stuff in Letty's fridge._

_Mostly, the Latina just wanted to be by herself. She'd never been alone. Completely alone in a place that she could call her own. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't a bad feeling once she got used to not having laughter coming from the kitchen or the screen door slamming shut at all hours of the night. Her new life had begun and if it hadn't been for Jesse and Mia, she would probably have gone crazy._

_End of flashback_

"Thanks, Let. That means a lot to me." Jesse replied.

The pair sat in a comfortable, familiar silence for a few minutes before Letty spoke.

"Have you been around to the old place?"

"Everyday."

Jesse's confession surprised Letty, although she was unsure why. She hadn't been past the Toretto house in years. Once the initial shock of his words went away, Letty was struck with what she could only guess was guilt. She knew that all of the memories they'd made, the scratches and dents and holes in the wall would no longer be there after the renovation was done. And yet, she still hadn't gone by to see how things were coming along.

"Have you?"

"Nah. But, I'm supposed to meet Dom there at three. He wants to see the progress and talk to one of the contractors."

"It's looking really good. A lot like the old house." Jesse said, balling his foil wrapper up and tossing it back into the brown paper bag.

"Really?"

"Yeah, they got a lot done in such a short amount of time."

_3:00, Echo Park_

Jesse's words rang true. It was no longer just the foundation. The contracting company that Dom had been recommended was working efficiently. In just five months, they'd done a bang up job at restoring the old house to its glory. Dom stood next to a man who was holding a blueprint of the house. Letty tapped Dom's right shoulder and quickly moved to the left, but the Italian didn't fall for it. He'd been privvy to Letty's antics for more than fifteen years.

Immediately turning to his left, he smiled. "Hey."

"Hey."

"This is Edwin. Ed, this is my girlfriend, Letty Ortiz." Dom introduced the two. Letty shook Edwin's hand.

"Nice to meet you." She greeted.

"Well, aren't you one lucky bastard?" Edwin joked and Dom laughed.

"She's the lucky one. I'm a catch." He teased, gently pushing Letty with his shoulder.

Letty shook her head, smirking. Dom's use of the 'g' word was not lost upon her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she took a good look at the house. It wouldn't be long before it was completed.

"So, it'll be what? Another eight months or so before it's completely finished?" Dom was asking.

"Actually, I'd say about six-and-a-half. But we'll still need another month for the building to be cleared as liveable. I have a friend over at the Housing and Zoning building, so I'll see if he can push up his visit and paperwork a little quicker than normal." Edwin responded.

"That would be perfect, man. Thanks." Dom replied, releasing his end of the blueprint from his hand.

_Only seven-and-a-half more months_, Letty thought, _will Mia move back into the house once its finished? Or is she gonna stay with me? I just got used to having her around. Will I be alone again?_

"Hey, it was nice meeting you, Letty. Keep this guy out of trouble." Edwin said, pulling Letty from her thoughts.

"Yeah. Nice meeting you. I'll try." She mustered up a smile for him.

Dom put his arm around Letty's neck and she leaned into him, placing a hand on his chest. They started towards Letty's car.

"Where'd you go just then?" Dom inquired.

"Huh? Nowhere. What do you mean?"

Dom looked at her, briefly studying her, before looking back at the house. "Nothing. You want to go get some grub?"

"Me and Jesse got lunch a little earlier. But we can meet for dinner if that's okay." Letty told him.

"I can't. I promised Brian that I'd help him with something tonight." Dom pulled his phone from his back pocket and looked at it. "It shouldn't take more than a few hours. Come to our apartment around nine-thirty?"

"Yeah. Okay, I'll see you at nine-thirty." She stood on her tiptoes and Dom leaned down to press his lips against hers.

"Good."

Dom opened her car door for her and waited until she was seated in the driver's side before shutting it. He stood in the same spot until he could no longer see her taillights.

_**Up Next: Brian's up to something. More Dotty lovin.**_


	24. Romance and Desire

_**A/N: So, because I nearly forgot what this chapter was supposed to be about, I wrote an entirely new chapter with a completely different plot than the 'up next' in the last chapter.. Fret not, lovers, I'll be posting that one as chapter 24. And it'll most likely be posted tomorrow. (: A little treat for you guys. So, here's the original:**_

_**Chapter 23: Romance and Desire**_

_Brian & Dom's apartment, Sunday, 9:46PM_

Letty knocked on the guys' door. Hearing Dom's voice yell that it was unlocked, she turned the knob and let herself in.

"I could have sworn I said nine-thirty." Dom grinned, handing Letty a frosted glass of chilled champagne.

"You did. But, I figured I'd give you an extra fifteen minutes to finish whatever it is that you're up to."

"How did you know I was up to something?"

Letty raised her eyebrow at him in response.

"Fair enough."

It was then that Letty noticed the white candles burning that were all over the apartment. Dom pointed down at their feet. Handfuls of red rose petals were sprinkled on the floor leading from the front door to the hallway.

Letty raised her eyebrow again in question. "What's all this?"

Dom simply moved slightly to the right and, with one hand, gestured for her to follow the rose pathway. She couldn't help the grin on her face as she started through the apartment with Dom right behind her.

The petals led her down the hallway and into Dom's bedroom where more white candles were burning. A single red rose lay on the bed and a few lose petals were strewn around it.

"All of this just to get me into your bed?" Letty smirked. "You could've just handed me a shot of tequila."

"Keep going, smartass." Dom teased. He pointed to another trail of the red flowers that led from the bed into his en-suite bathroom. Pushing the cracked door open, Letty walked into the cream-and-marble bathroom. The lights were off but the dozen or so candles gave off the perfect amount of light. The whirlpool bathtub was filled, the bubbles full and prominent and smelling of sweet apples.

Turning to look at Dom, Letty smiled. "What's all this about?"

"I just wanted to do something nice for you."

"It's beautiful, Dom."

"Good." He replied. "Now, strip, woman."

Once she removed her clothes, Letty stepped into the hot bath. It was just the right temperature and she pinned her hair up into a bun atop of her head as she leaned back against the massaging jets. A small moan of appreciation left her lips.

"Relaxing?" Dom asked.

"Definitely."

Dominic snapped his fingers as if he'd forgotten something and told her he'd return shortly. Only a few moments passed before Letty heard his bare footsteps padding across the bathroom floor. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.

"I know how much you secretly love these." Dom told her. He opened up the white box, revealing milk chocolate-covered pineapple slices and strawberries. Letty's eyes widened and she pulled his face closer to hers, kissing him.

"You are so getting laid tonight." She whispered. Dom grinned.

"Enjoy."

"You're not gonna join me?" A hint of disappointment in her voice.

Dom bit his bottom lip, briefly considering her offer. She looked so good with the flickering candle flames dancing across her heated, olive skin. Bubbles just barely covering her breasts and her right knee raised slightly in the water. Only a fool would decline the invitation.

Already shirtless, Dom slipped out of his basketball shorts and boxers before stepping into the water and lying his back against Letty's front. He sighed gratefully. Under the water, Letty wrapped her legs around Dom's waist, her ankles on his thighs.

Taking her hands in his, Dom kissed the palms of each before resting them against his own chest.

"I'm gonna tell everybody what a hopelessly romantic sucker you are." Letty giggled, playfully biting his cheek.

"They won't believe you."

"Oh no?"

"Nah. They know I'm too manly for that."

"Says the manly man in a bubble bath." Letty retorted.

"You say 'tomato', I say 'to-mah-to'."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you tell them I catering to you in a bubble bath and I'll tell them it was a night full of hot, rough sex." Dom shrugged.

Letty's mouth dropped open. "You wouldn't."

"You don't think I have?" Dom grinned.

Letty gently slapped his chest. "You're an ass."

"A hopelessly romantic ass." He reminded her. Turning his head a spell, he angled upwards for a kiss. Letty complied, pressing her lips against his.

"So, what was this _thing _that you had to help Brian with tonight?" She questioned.

_Hannah Carter Japanese Garden, Los Angeles, 10:01PM_

"Brian, where are you taking me?" Mia asked.

After a lovely dinner at an Cuban restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, Brian had coaxed Mia into wearing a blindfold once they'd gotten settled in the car. A few emotions galloped across Mia's face, confusion being the most prominent, but she trusted Brian so she'd conceded and allowed him to tie the satin cloth around her eyes. It wasn't a long drive; twenty minutes tops. But it felt like hours to Mia who could not see the winding road or passing buildings that melded into tall trees and a dirt path.

"Will you just relax, woman?" Brian joked. "Tell me what you smell."

"What I smell?" Mia put her hands on her hips and took a big whiff of the warm air around her. "Uhm, honeysuckles, maybe. With a little jasmine. And... some lavender I think."

She heard Brian's low chuckle behind her left ear. "What? Did you bring me to Bath & Body Works?" Mia inquired, saucily.

"You're so funny I forgot to laugh."

Mia chuckled.

"Are you ready to see now?" He asked.

"Do you have an unhealthy obsession with imports?" She answered.

Ignoring her teasing jibe, Brian moved in front of Mia and untied the blindfold, letting it drop into his hand. All of the planning and hardwork he'd put into this night was worth it when he saw the look on her face. Mia's eyes widened and both hands flew to her mouth in shock.

The Japanese Garden, already beautiful in its own right, had become a wonderland for Mia. Brian and Dom had strung white lights and lanterns over trees and strong bushes. The famous zig-zag pond stood to the right of them. To the left was a bleached wood table with two matching chairs, complete with white padding and a white linen tablecloth.

"Brian." Mia said. She was in complete awe. It was the most romantic thing that anyone had ever done for her.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? I-I love it. Are you kidding?"

Brian led her to the table, pulling out her chair. And when she was seated he pushed it in a little. In that moment, Mia noticed the decent-sized, red cooler he'd placed on the floor beside his own chair. Opening it up, he reached inside and everything he pulled out came in pairs. Two champagne flutes. Two Tupperware containers. Two wrapped silverware forks. Two small, ceramic plates.

And one lone bottle of Moët.

He opened the containers and placed a large slice of chocolate cake with raspberry drizzle on either plate. It was Mia's favorite, of course. After all, tonight was all about her. He popped open the champagne and poured it freely before handing Mia a glass.

"Brian." She repeated, a smile in her voice. "What are you up to?"

"Just wanted to wine and dine my woman. That's all." He smiled back, his baby blues twinkling in the soft lantern lights. Finally, he sat across from the beautiful woman that he called his 'girlfriend'. Lifting his glass, Mia followed suit, clinking it with her own. Instead of taking a sip, she sat it back down and looked in Brian's eyes.

"You are incredible." She told him.

"That's supposed to be my line." He smiled.

The next few moments consisted of the pair digging into the bakery-made cake. Mia moaned her approval of the sweet taste of chocolate.

"Good?" Brian asked.

"Amazing."

"Like you."

"Smooth." Mia laughed. "Real smooth."

"I do what I can."

Mia smiled. "Brian?"

"Yes?"

"I have something to tell you."

_Brian & Dom's apartment, 11:42PM_

"Oh, come on, Let. Most women would kill for that experience."

Letty and Dom lay spent in Dom's bed, with Letty's face hiding under the blankets.

The brunette had had enough of Dom's 'accidental' teasing touches in the bath, so they'd moved their romantic evening to the bedroom. It wasn't long before Letty's ankle was resting on Dom's shoulder and the muscled Italian was stroking in and out of her slowly.

"I'm not most women." Came Letty's obscured voice.

"Didn't it feel good?" Dom prodded.

"No." Letty's voice sounded hesitant. "Yes."

He laughed. "See?"

"You're laughing at me."

"No, I'm not. I promise. Now, will you at least come out from under the covers."

There was a grumble of words, and no doubt expletives, before Letty pushed the covers off of her head with a huff and a pout.

"You want me to do it again?" He asked.

"No!" Letty exclaimed. She pulled the covers back over her head. "Kinda."

Again, Dom laughed.

"Letty, what's the big deal? Lots of women squirt."

Letty gasped. "Don't say it like that!"

Dom burrowed himself under the blanket with her. One strong hand grabbed a hold of her face, roughly forcing her to look at him. The other slid down her hot skin, brushing across her still-sensitive bundle of nerves.

She was still wet and only getting wetter. Dom rubbed her clit in firm, circular motions, causing Letty's back to arch, slightly and her eyes to close. Squeezing her face a little tighter, he commanded her to open her eyes and look into his.

Dom's digits moistened themselves in Letty's juices before he suddenly plunged into her depths. Three fingers all at once.

"Fuck!" She groaned while he pumped his hand quickly in and out of her, wiggling his fingers around so they brushed against her walls. When he felt her muscles tighten around him, he pulled out halfway in order to add a fourth finger. Slamming back into her, Letty's back lifted off of the bed, completely, and her hands grabbed at the sheets.

Dom loved the wet noises coming from between her smooth thighs. It only egged him on further, ramming into her quicker and harder.

"_Ooohhh_. God! It's... h-happening! It's _happening_!" Letty's voice was high, light, and airy as she squeaked out the last word. Dom allowed her face to slip out of his grasp. Her head turned the other way as she felt the pressure below her waist rising. When Letty's stomach muscles tightened, she bit into the pillow in a feeble attempt to soften her moaning.

"_Shitshitshitshit_!"

Dom felt an abrupt pressure pushing against his hands. And when he yanked his fingers out of her pulsing center, a stream of liquid followed. And then another. Letty's body convulsed violently with no sign of stopping any time soon.

"God!" The groan was guttural and came from the back of her throat. Try as she might, Letty could not stop her body from jerking as she came down from her sexual high.

Dom was certain of two things. One, the intense desire that stemmed from romantic gestures was deeply satisfying and made Letty crave his touch more than anything. And two, in the future, he'd be planning _many _more nights of romance for Letty!

_Hannah Carter Japanese Garden, 11:53PM_

Brian had not stopped kissing Mia in nearly two hours. He held her as the two slow-danced to the music of their hearts.

And he asked for the millionth time:

"Are you sure?"

And Mia nodded her answer.

_**Up Next: Letty's insecurities surface. And Thankgiving!**_

_**A/N: Don't forget to review, lovers. (:**_


	25. A Very Toretto Thanksgiving

_**A/N: I got a great amount of PMs and tweets about my new AUs that I'm working on. Once I get to chapter 28 on this story, I'll start posting the new one. (: Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 24: A Very Toretto Thanksgiving**_

_Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, 6:09PM_

Since eight that morning, Mia had been going back and forth between her apartment and the guys'. She'd made good use of their oven; baking things that wouldn't fit into her and Letty's already over-stuffed oven. Currently, pies, cakes, and a forty-pound turkey were baking slowly. Mia always overcooked because plenty of friends stopped by after they spent time with their own families to drink, eat (again) and enjoy the team's company. By the end of the night, there was minimal clean up and no leftovers.

Normally, during the cooking process, there was a constant battle trying to keep Letty away from the food. Mia popped her hand more than once as she picked over things.

"Come on, Mia! Let me be your taste tester!" Letty would offer until Mia would roll her eyes and point to a stool at the breakfast bar.

Tonight was a lot different, however. Hector, and the rest of the boys were in their apartment. Coronas in their hands, something miscellaneous on the television and the chatter constant.

"Damn, it smells good in here, Mia." Hector complimented.

"Thanks. I'll cook everything else tomorrow before dinner. Are you gonna swing past after your parents?" She asked.

"Of course. You know I'll be here. Probably bring some of the guys and my girl."

Mia winked at him. "The more the merrier."

Letty, who was sitting on the arm of the couch with her feet in Dom's lap, finished off the rest of the amber liquid from its glass bottle. It was her fourth one and it appeared that she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. Dom's eyebrows furrowed when she took his unfinished beer from his hands. She'd been like this the past three weeks, not remembering her alcoholic limit. It wasn't like her.

It seemed to happen especially after he would do something completely romantic for her. And there had been three times where he'd awaken alone in his bed after spending the night with her. When he'd see her at work, she'd mumble something about wanting to get an early start.

"Hey." He started, tapping her leg. His voice was low, not wanting the rest of the team to hear their conversation. She looked down at him.

"What?" Her voice equally as low.

"What's up with you?"

Letty shrugged and drank from the beer. Dom took it from her and sat it on the coffee table in front of him. Standing up, he took her hand and pulled her off of the couch with him. He led them down the small hallway towards her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Once inside the peace and quiet, Letty stood before Dom, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Talk to me, Let."

"About what?"

"Whatever's on your mind that you're not saying."

"I'm fine."

"The kiss of death. If I learned one thing from being with you, is that when you say 'I'm fine', it generally means I should go purchase a bulletproof vest. So, come on. What's eating at you?"

Despite her feelings at the moment, Letty smiled a little. "I just feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions right now."

"How? Is it something that I did?" Dom asked. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd ever ask that question.

"No. Well, I don't know."

"So, talk to me. Maybe we can figure it out together."

"I like living here." Letty blurted out.

Confused, Dom smiled and nodded his head. "Ooookay. I understand that. No one's asking you to move or anything."

Letty rolled her eyes.

"Is that it? Should I be asking you to move in with me?" Dom questioned.

"No! Maybe. But not... now."

"Let, I'm really trying to follow your logic. But, you know I didn't take Women's Studies in high school like you did."

A small breath of laughter escaped Letty's nose. "That's not what we talked about in Women's Studies."

"Okay, so forget high school. Let's talk about now. You want me to ask you to move in but not now? But you like living in this apartment... with Mia? Am I getting this right so far?"

Letty nodded. "Yeah."

Dom closed his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Letty, I'm begging you right now to help to understand."

"The house." She muttered.

"The house?" He inquired. A lightbulb went off somewhere in Dom's mind. He kicked himself mentally for not asking sooner. Putting his hands on either of her shoulders, Dom smiled. "Letty, you _do _know that once the house is finished you're gonna move back in with us, right?"

"No, I don't know that."

He dropped his head, fully understanding now. "Because I'm an idiot and I didn't ask or tell you." Again, Letty nodded. Dom pushed her arms out of their defensive posture and pulled her to him in an embrace.

"Of course I want you to move back into the house with us. Are you crazy?"

Letty's arms wrapped around Dom's body and her hands held onto his shoulder blades. She felt him put his face into her hair. Letty closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Dom's chest.

A knock sounded on the door. Mia poked her head in the room after Letty permitted by a very muffled 'come in'.

"Hey, the guys are about to head out. They wanted me to tell you guys that they'll see us tomorrow for dinner."

Letty nodded her head, her cheek rubbing harshly against Dom's t-shirt. "Okay."

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah. We're good, Mi." Dom told her. She shrugged and closed the door behind her.

"Letty, I love you."

"I love _you_." Letty replied, automatically. It was second nature to love Dominic Toretto. She'd loved him for as long as she could remember. And, secretly, it still made her heart skip when she heard him admit that he loved her too.

_Flashback, 4 years ago (2009), Thanksgiving, Los Angeles_

_A twenty-four-year-old Dom placed the last dish in the center of the dining room table; a twenty-pound turkey. It was surrounded by a dozen or more separate dishes, including a small ham, Mia's famous baked macaroni and cheese, and four different pies. The team sat around the table, eager to tell what they were most thankful for so they could say grace and dig in. _

_Dom sat at the head of the table, the spot where he'd seen his father sit on many an occasion, wondering if Anthony ever felt like Zeus sitting there. To his right was Letty, his queen, with her hair tied up and the sleeves of her black and grey plaid shirt rolled up. And on his left, sat his little sister; the reason why he'd gone bald, or so he joked. His princess. Down the table on her side was Brian and Leon. And to Letty's left was Vince and then Jesse. His family._

_"Grab a hand, grab a heart." Dom said. It was something his father had always said before every meal._

_Everyone linked hands and bowed their heads, eyes closing. _

_"Heavenly Father, we thank you for the abundance of blessings that you bestowed upon us. We thank you for our small family, for bringing us altogether under one roof. We ask you to bless this food that we are about to receive to nourish our bodies and bless the sweet hands that prepared it. We'll forever be grateful for what we have and pray for those who are less fortunate than we are. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."_

_A chorus of 'Amen' floated around the table and the clatter of silverware on plates began._

_"So," Jesse began, "what are you guys thankful for?"_

_End of flashback_

_Mia & Letty's apartment, Thanksgiving, 6:07PM_

"I know I say this every year, but I'm really thankful for you guys. There are times when I don't feel like I belong, but then I remember this badass family that I have." Vince said.

"Awww!" Mostly everyone replied in unison. Letty patted him on the back.

"I'm thankful that we had the funds to get the house restored." Leon added.

"Here, here." Jesse said, holding up his glass of red wine.

"I'm always thankful for family. And love." Mia admitted.

"I'm thankful for new love. And old love, reignited." Brian responded, nodding his head at Dom and Letty, who smiled.

"I'm mostly grateful for the moments like this. With family. We're fortunate to know this familial love. Not everyone does." Dom nodded as he spoke.

A few mutters of agreement went around the table before all eyes landed on Letty. She cleared her throat and looked around at her family. Mia. Brian. Jesse. Vince. Leon. And finally... Dom.

"I'm thankful... that there was a vacancy just across the hall." She offered, picking up her glass of red wine. It was all she could say without feeling a lump in her throat.

And that was all that needed to be said. Everyone understood perfectly. The vacancy had set forth a chain of events that had led them all up to this very moment.

"To family." Mia said, holding up her glass of ice water.

"To family." They echoed in unison.

As they tucked in, eating their fill, Mia looked at Brian. They had a silent conversation with their eyes, ending when Brian nodded his head.

"You know what else I'm thankful for?" Mia inquired, turning away from Brian and looking around the table.

"What's that, Mi?"

"I'm also thankful for unprotected sex that leads to having babies." Mia told them, smiling cheekily.

Dom and Letty's head snapped up from their plates.

"Mia?! A-are you pregnant?" Letty asked.

Mia looked around, keeping them in suspense for a little bit longer, before nodding excitedly. Dom smiled at his little sister. Letty's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" Jesse interjected.

"I call godfather." Leon added. Laughter and 'congratulations' rang around the table. Joy and hope for the future bubbled in their spirits at the thought of the new member of their family growing inside of Mia's belly.

_**Up Next: Christmas preparations and another flashback.**_


	26. Old Saint Dom

_**A/N: I want to thank the Academy... wait, wrong speech. *clears throat and finds right notecards* I want to thank all of you guys for reading and reviewing. I've got some thoroughly loyal readers and I get the giggles reading the reviews that you guys post. When I open my email notifications, it truly makes me so happy. I've never made the 200 review mark, let alone 300. So, thank you again. Love & light, guys! *curtsies awkwardly***_

_**Chapter 25: Old Saint Dom**_

_Flashback, 10 years ago (2003), Los Angeles, 9:23PM_

_"Oh, come on, Let. Sit on Santa's lap. You know you want to." Mia whispered, conspiratorially, into Letty's ear._

_"Shut it, Mia." Letty said, nudging Mia in the ribs._

_Eighteen-year-old Dom was sitting on the loveseat in the den with a Santa Claus hat on his head. In a white v-neck and lightwash jeans, he looked relaxed as he flicked through channels on the TV. Leon sat in the La-Z-Boy chair to Dom's left. Letty and Mia had walked through the den on their way to Sean Boswell's annual "Hos Hos Hos" party. _

_"Ay, where you two headed?" Leon asked the two sixteen-year-olds._

_"Out." Letty answered._

_"Where?" Dom's baritone voice demanded. A slight shiver went to down Letty's spine._

_"__**Out**__." She repeated, firmly._

_Dom smirked. For the past two weeks, Letty's smart ass mouth hadn't bothered him as much as it used to. She held her ground and he suddenly began admiring that about her. He let his eyes roam freely up her bare legs before returning them to the TV._

_"Whatever. Have fun." He said, feigning disinterest in Letty's plans._

_Letty would never admit to anyone, not even Mia, that she was a tad disappointed in Dom's nonchalant attitude. She had expected a little more fight than what he'd given her. _

_"Whatever." She replied and continued on her way with Mia in tow. _

_When Dom heard the front door slam, he cleared his throat and threw the remote onto the couch._

_"Leave them be, Dom!" Anthony Toretto's voice sounded from the kitchen._

_"Leon and I are going to the store, Pop!" Dom yelled back._

_"Dude," Leon started, his voice low, "we're following them, aren't we?"_

_"Damn right we are."_

_Leon was unsure as to how he always got dragged into one of Dom's schemes to ruin Letty and Mia's social life. He never complained, however, because they'd always wound up at some raging party with tons of alcohol and hot girls. Shrugging, he stood up and followed Dominic out of the house._

_Fifteen minutes later, Dom pulled up to a townhouse and a misty drizzle had begun to fall. He spotted Letty's car and found a parking spot a few spaces in front of it. They exited the car and followed the sounds of thumping music to the party. _

_When they entered the house, they were surprised. The house was jam-packed with teenagers, dancing and having the time of their lives. Everywhere they looked, there were red, plastic Solo cups. Looking up, the entire ceiling had been covered in mistletoe and white Christmas lights lined the perimeter of the walls. _

_It didn't take long for Dom and Leon to spot Mia and Letty. They were moving through the crowd, holding their drinks in the air. Dom's eyebrows furrowed when he saw Letty pull her arm away from a guy who, from what he gathered, wanted Letty to dance with him._

_"These little boys have no respect today." Dom stated. Leon had saw the small spectacle as well. Smirking, he inwardly rolled his eyes. _

_"What? Are you gonna be her knight in shining armor?" Leon questioned. He grabbed a Jolly Rancher candy cane from the candy bowl and began unwrapping it._

_"Letty doesn't need a white knight."_

_"Then what does she need?"_

_"How would I know? It's not like I care either way." Dom responded, shrugging._

_"Riiiight. Of course you don't." _

_"Dom? What the hell are you doing here?" Letty asked through clenched teeth._

Speaking of the hot, Latina devil...

_"What? We heard there was a hot party happening." Dom lied, grinning._

_"Yeah, Let. We had no idea you guys would be here." Leon added, in a tone that let the girls know that they obviously knew._

_"You. Corner. Now." Letty nearly growled. She grabbed the center of Dom's v-neck shirt and dragged him through the crowd of people to a corner of the living room._

_"Start talking." She demanded._

_"Come on, Let. How could we pass up booze and beautiful women?" He tried an award-winning side smark._

_"Easily." She hissed, poking him in his chest. "Don't come."_

_"You realize that you're asking me to go against nature."_

_Letty opened her mouth, stuttering. "That's not... I didn't mean... God! You're are so obnoxious." _

_Dom smiled. "Why are you so uptight? It's a party, kid."_

_Letty smacked Dom's hand away as he went to pat her on the head. "I'm not a kid and I'm not uptight. You're being a dick."_

_"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"_

_"No. But you can kiss my ass with yours."_

_A raised eyebrow from Dom._

_"Just leave please." Letty's voice was pleading._

_Dom shrugged. "I might be susceptible to leaving if there were, say... something in it for me."_

_"Fine. Anything."_

_"A dance." Dom propositioned. Letty's mouth dropped open._

_"With who? Rudolph?" Letty asked while she supressed the sudden urge to slap the Santa Claus hat off of his head._

Who the hell did he think he was bribing her to dance with him?

And more importantly, why the fuck wasn't she closing her smartass mouth and accepting?

_"No. With," he eyed her outfit up and down, "Vixen."_

_"Cute. Real cute."_

_"So they tell me."_

_"They tell you about your huge ego as well?"_

_"Most do. Some even stroke it."_

_Letty's eyes widened. Her face turned red with anger and embarrassment._

_"Ugh!" She growled her frustration at him before turning on her heels. _

_Before she could stalk off to find Mia, she felt his hand on her arm. _

_"Aw, I was just kidding, Letty." He pointed upwards to the mistletoe ceiling. "Make it up to you?"_

_Letty squinted her eyes at him and leaned in, tapping her pointer finger against her cheek. Dom angled downwards, placing his lips there, softly._

_"You're lucky I love you like a brother." Letty half-lied._

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah."_

_End of flashback_

The weeks leading up to Christmas were big.

_But Mia's favorite part? _

The shopping.

She'd managed to drag Letty through every outlet mall in the area, purchasing gifts and decorations from damn near every store they entered. Her spirits were high, her morning sickness nonexistent and her credit card, seemingly, unlimited.

Two weeks before Christmas, Mia had sat the team down in the living room for an important discussion.

_Mia & Letty's apartment, December, Los Angeles, 5:13PM_

"Okay, I have an idea, but I wanted to get your opinions before I acted. And it's a limited time offer that expires at nine a.m. tomorrow morning."

"What is it, Mi?" Letty asked from her spot on the floor.

"Well, you all know how Daddy's family had a cabin in Denver and they've used it as a winter home since like before we were born, right?"

"Right. So, what's the offer?" Dom inquired, suddenly interested.

They'd wanted to spend a holiday at the cabin in the woods of Colorado for as long as he could remember. But since Anthony didn't get along with his only brother, Joseph. They'd been fighting over the same thing since high school; Dom's mother. According to Uncle Joe, Anthony stole Maria from right under his nose at their high school's prom. Thus resulting in Joe never offering the cabin to Tony, Mia or Dom during holidays.

"Well, since Uncle Joe died, God rest his soul, his wife has been so gracious as to not only offer the cabin to us for this Christmas, but also to change the ownership title into my name." By this point, Mia was practically bouncing on her feet.

"What's wrong with it?" Dom, Letty and Vince asked in unison.

"Yeah, does it need a lot of work? Or is she just sick of having it around?" Jesse questioned.

Mia shrugged. "Who cares? We'll finally have a snowy Christmas. And I only have until tomorrow morning to give her an answer. Let's take a vote. All those in favor of owning the cabin in Denver, raise your hands."

Hesitantly, all the hands in the room went up, including Mia's.

"Yay! I'll go call Aunt Sharon now! This is gonna be so exciting."

_**Up Next: Christmas in Colorado.**_


	27. White Christmas In Colorado

_**A/N: NSFW. This is the third draft of this chapter. I kept re-writing and deleting it. So, I hope you guys like this one, even though it's super long. Welp, enjoy chapter 26, sweet souls! (:**_

_**Chapter 26: White Christmas in Colorado**_

_December 23, Denver, Colorado, 10:47PM_

December twenty-third came quickly and by five a.m., they were loading their luggage and wrapped presents into the trunks and backseats of their cars. Letty had yawned countless times before opening up the driver's side door, but she was determined to make good time.

Fourteen hours, forty-seven minutes and five stops for gas later, they were pulling up to the secluded cabin. It was located in a heavily-wooded area. Snow was still falling and the ground was already covered in a thick, fluffy blanket of white.

"Yeaahh, this doesn't look like the beginning of a really bad horror film _at all_." Letty commented, sarcastically. Mia parked in the gravel driveway and pulled the keys from the ignition, looking over at her best friend.

"If there's a serial killer out here, he's probably getting frostbite." Mia pulled on her white hat with its bright red puffball on top.

Letty slipped her dark gray skully hat onto her head and rolled her eyes. "This weather is the reason why we live in LA."

Mia laughed. "Stop complaining and enjoy the beauty."

They stepped out of the car, opening the back doors to grab their things. Pulling up behind them was Dom, Vince and Brian in one car, with Leon and Jesse right after in another.

Stepping out of the car, Vince zippered up his winter coat. "Does this snow make anyone else miss LA?"

"See?" Letty smirked. "It ain't just me."

Mia shrugged. Up the creaking steps to the porch they went. Mia unlocked the screen door and then the front door, pushing it open. A gust of cool air whipped into their faces. The inside was pitch black and the girls nearly tripped over each other as they fumbled around looking for light switches.

"Found it." Vince said, his hand blindly massaging the wall before resting on the switch. Flicking it upwards, they were suddenly engulfed in what one could only assume was the Christms spirit.

"Wow." Jesse managed.

The entire luxury cabin had already been pre-decorated, undoubtedly thanks to Aunt Sharon. She'd mentioned to Mia that they never took down the Christmas decorations, as they'd only used the cabin during the holiday season. It would simply be a waste of time to take it down every year, only to replace it the next.

The classy theme around the entire place was off-white, gold and forest green with only a splash of red here and here. Wrapped around the spiral staircases' banisters was dark green garland with white lights and ivory-and-gold lace bows. White lights were strung around the room were the wall met the ceiling. The faux tree had been also pre-decorated. The only thing the team had to do was put their wrapped gifts underneath for Christmas morning.

The towels, washclothes, and even dishtowels were ivory, gold and red. The foaming hand-pump soaps around the house either smelled like gingerbread cookies, peppermint or warm apple spice. _Clearly_, Christmas was Aunt Sharon's favorite holiday.

Once the team got settled in their rooms, they'd all seemingly made their way back into the living room.

"Is anyone else freezing?" Leon questioned.

"Yeah, I'll start a fire going." Vince offered.

"And I'll go turn the thermostat up." Mia added.

"Anyone for hot chocolate?" Letty inquired. A chorus of positive responses floated back to her and off she headed.

She hadn't been in the kitchen long before she heard footsteps behind her. She smiled, her back still to the intruder.

"What's up, Brian?"

_How the hell does she do that?_, he thought to himself.

The sandy-blonde man pulled himself up on the counter beside Letty and looked down at her.

"Just came to see if you needed any help."

Letty grinned, knowingly. "And?"

"And what?"

"There's something else on your mind."

_No, seriously, is she like psychic or what?_, Brian pondered.

"Okay, so you know Mia better than anyone, right? I mean, even better than Dom." Brian began.

A slight chuckle from Letty. "Sure, yeah. I guess you could say that."

"Well, how does she feel about marriage?"

Turning on the stove's flame underneath the kettle, Letty looked up at Brian. "Favorable. I mean, you know Mia, too. She wants the whole family experience. Marriage, kids, grandkids, et cetera. Why? Are you thinking about proposing?"

"Not yet. I mean, we haven't even been together for a year. And as you know, we've been playing this flirtation game for-."

"Damn near half a decade." Letty finished for him.

"Yeah." He chuckled.

"Well, if you _are _thinking about popping the question, do it _after _the baby comes. Mia will be pissed if she's pregnant in her wedding gown." Letty smirked. "Believe me, she's had this dress picked out since we were like ten."

Brian smiled and gently pushed her arm. "Thanks, Let."

"That's what I'm here for." She said, just before the kettle started to scream.

By midnight, the desire for sleep was overwhelming. Each retired to their rooms to seek peace, quiet and sweet dreams.

_Christmas Eve, Denver, 9:09PM_

The day had passed slowly with a few family games and a small dinner, courtesy of Vince and Jesse. Though no one admitted it, the thought of Christmas morning being right around the corner was exciting to them. It was the first time that any of them would experience snow on Christmas Day.

After dinner, they'd sat in front of a crackling, warm fire and talked about what the future held in store for them and drinking Leon's famous spiked apple cider. Dom had sat against the couch with Letty between his legs; her back to his front and his strong arms around her neck. She'd been running her soft hands up and down his muscles, pausing only to squeeze them, softly. He'd pressed soft kisses into her hair, occassionally rubbing the side of his face against the black silk. Their movements were subtle in nature, something the whole team had seen before.

Meanwhile, as the rest of the team headed deep into conversation, Dom and Letty were in their own little world. And when Dom leaned over and pressed his cheek against hers, lovingly, Letty's eyes shut, relishing in the feel of his skin against hers.

Finally, Letty had stretched, dramatically and even gave a small yawn for good measure.

"Well, I'm beat." She'd remarked before bidding everyone a good night. Only a few minutes passed before Dom followed suit.

When he entered the room, the bathroom door was shut. The stereo in the room played a nice symphony of slow jazz. Dom plopped down in the spare chair in the corner of their bedroom. He'd only had two glasses of Leon's cider, but his head was spinning a little. Dom leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes and pinched he bridge of his nose. He heard the bathroom door open and his hand dropped into his lap.

"Bedtime?" Letty's seductive rasp inquired.

Dom's eyes opened and his jaw dropped. In the doorway to the bathroom, his girlfriend stood in a red lace panty and bra set. Some places were more see-through than others, but left a little to the imagination. Her toned stomach, arms and legs had always been his favorite assets on her body, but now he was rethinking that. The bra pushed her breasts up a little more and the butterfly-cut panties were to die for. Her naturally wavy hair fell over her shoulders and down her back.

Dom responded with, "Not anymore."

A smirk from the vixen in the doorway. She walked deeper into the bedroom, crossing the carpeted floor until she stood in front of him. Pulling him out of his seat, Letty led him to the bed and pointed, silently commanding him to sit down.

Dom obeyed.

Turning around, Letty gathered her dark tresses into her hands and pulled them over her right shoulder, before bending at the knees and pushing her ass into Dom's crotch, her hands on either of _his _knees.

A low hiss came from Dom at the feel of her ass rub against his hardening member. Instinctively, his hands flew to the soft skin of her waist. Letty grabbed his hands and pushed them away. Continuing her sensual lapdance, she felt his fingertips grasp at her hips this time. Standing up, Letty turned to face Dom and straddled his lap.

Taking his hands and pushing them into the mattress again, she bit her lip and shook her head.

"You don't unwrap your gifts until I say so." She whispered in his ear. Dom shivered at the sensual tone of her voice. Letty had him harder than Chinese arithmetic and he was sure that the night she had planned hadn't even begun. He swallowed roughly, his throat suddenly dry and nodded his head.

Smirking at his submissive response, Letty continued to her seduction by grinding her body against his. She kissed his neck, even bit down a little. And when he was a _really _good boy, she'd swiftly brush her lips against his and pulling away, not yet kissing him.

Fifteen minutes of teasing foreplay later, Dom's shirt and pants were off and he was sitting against the headboard, his feet outstretched. She'd been slowly dry-fucking him; rubbing her crotch back and forth over his erection, working him into a sexual frenzy. And she knew he was dying with the anticipation of touching her. Letty brought his right hand slowly up her body.

_Stomach_. _Breasts_. _Neck_.

Before reaching her left shoulder. She encouraged him to push the bra strap down slowly. And then the other. Pressing her body against his, her hands on his chest, Letty demanded, "Unwrap them."

Dom didn't hesitate to reach behind her back and, singlehandedly, unhook the small, metal clasps of her bra. She allowed the thin material to fall down her arms before throwing it off the bed. When he brought his hands up to her knead her supple breasts, without permission, Letty was at a loss for words. When he pinched her hardened buds, her eyes shut briefly and then she felt his warm mouth engulf one.

"Mmm." Letty moaned, one hand on the back of Dom's neck. She instinctively ground her lower body with Dom's; her sensitive clit collided with his rock hard manhood. The heat that emanated from her core told Dom that she was already seeping with want.

Dom transferred his attention to her other breast. And then he was pushing them together, alternating between flicking his tongue around Letty's nipples and sucking on them. He kissed a trail up her chest, her perfect collarbone, ending at her neck. Letty was nearly putty in his hands when he sucked softly on the sweet spot just below her ear. She gripped his face, roughly, and kissed his lips hard, her tongue demanding entrance to his mouth. And he gave it.

Standing up on the bed, Letty spun around slowly and bent over, alluringly pulling her red lace panties down as she went, and giving Dom a perfect view of her beautiful, wet love.

No longer able to control himself, Dom lurched forward, his hands gripping her waist, and dove headfirst into her juices. He lapped, sucked and slurped at her, eating her as if she were his final meal. Letty gasped at the abrupt pleasure. She knew her legs would give out at any moment.

Dom sensed it as well. So, he pulled her backwards, her knees bending until the reached the bed and she was sitting on his face.

"Fuck!" Letty growled. Now in the sixty-nine position, Letty slid her hand under the waistband of Dom's boxer shorts and grabbed hold of him, confidently. It was, after all, hers.

Dom groaned into her, surprised at her bold movements. It was rare that Letty gave him blowjobs; of course, he never cared because being inside of her had always been the best feeling in the world. But when she _did _go down on him, Dom was almost sure that she'd taken (and aced) a 'how-to' class somewhere.

Pulling him out of the offending material, she wrapped her thumb and index finger around the base of his penis and formed a perfect 'O' with her mouth before taking him in. To Dom, her mouth was hot and wet. Sucking him off, expertly, Letty bobbed her head up and down, sliding her fingers up and down as she went. She stopped every now and then, moaning and cursing at Dom's eating frenzy. Letty's fellatio expertise was sending chills down Dom's spine and it wasn't long before he could feel himself about to come.

Sitting up, he pushed her further down the bed, her forehead against the sheets. She looked back at him and smiled naughtily, as he slipped easily inside of her. Immediately, her muscles suctioned him in deeper. Doggystyle: their favorite position.

Sure, there were times when Dom wanted to see the expressions on his girlfriend's face, but there was nothing like doggystyle with her. It was primal and passionate, and raw. _Just like Letty._

Looking at her now, her eyes pleaded with him to fuck her harder and harder. And so he complied.

And he was able to hold it together for the next thirty minutes before he felt the first jet of come spurt into Letty. He pulled out and watched as the rest landed on her backside.

She didn't give him a chance to rest before she turned around and pushed him back on the bed. Still wet and almost at her peak, it was easy for her to slide down onto his length. Letty rode him, bouncing up and down on his long, thick length, her hands on his chest for leverage.

"God! It feels so good." Letty practically growled from the back of her throat.

Seven strokes later and her muscles had him in a death grip. Dom clenched his teeth tightly as she continued to grind out her orgasm. She fell onto his chest, breathing heavily, with a still-hard Dom inside of her.

"Bedtime now?" Letty panted.

"Not even close. We ain't done yet."

Letty let out a laugh and pressed against the bed to push herself back up.

_Christmas Day, Denver, 8:54AM_

The smell of bacon and coffee roused Letty. Her naked body was stretched out across the middle of the full-sized bed. Looking around the dimly lit room, Dom was nowhere to be found, but he'd kept the curtains drawn so she could sleep in. She smiled as the memories of last night came flooding back to her. When her stomach growled, she knew it was time to get up and throw some clothes on.

Letty flung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up...

Before falling to the floor. Her legs were shaky and her vagina was sore. She stretched her limbs a bit before trying again.

_Much better_, she thought to herself. Throwing on clothes and brushing her teeth, Letty headed out of the bedroom.

The team filled the kitchen-dining space busying themselves with a variety of activities. A choral of "Merry Christmas!" was yelled at her by Mia, Leon, Jesse, Vince and Brian. Dom sat at the table with a half-full mug of coffee in front of him. He looked up at the new inhabitant of the room and smirked at her.

"Morning, sunshine." He grinned. Crossing the room, Letty slipped into Dom's lap, her arms reaching for his reindeer cup.

"I hurt." She whispered to him, before pointing to her lower region. "Down there."

Dom stifled a laugh. "I warned you after round... was it thirteen or fourteen?"

Letty gently slapped her free hand over his mouth, and looked around the kitchen to see who'd heard him. No one seemed to be paying them any mind, as they continued their own chatter.

"Guys, when are we opening presents." Letty smiled, cheekily. "I don't wanna brag or anything, but I'm a pretty good gift giver."

"We know!" Jesse, Leon and Vince deadpanned in unison. It was the same claim that Letty had made every year since they'd known her. And it was true. She did have quite the knack for picking out gifts according to anyone's personality.

Brian's breakfast of blueberry pancakes, cheese eggs and bacon had been demolished in a hurry, everyone excited to get to their presents. Taking their tea or coffee with them into the living room, each found a spot and got comfortable.

"Ladies first." Dom warned the men in the room.

Letty and Mia high-fived each other and reached under the tree to find gifs with their names on it. Once they'd retrieved their six gifts each, they passed out the rest to the guys.

Within three minutes, everyone sat in their own space with their pile of six gifts around them, waiting for Mia's signal.

"Readyyyy? Annnnnd... _open_!" Mia yelled. The sounds of laughter and wrapping paper being torn off were the first sounds to be heard. The following was generally an exclamation of "_aww, man! I needed this_!" or "_this is exactly what I wanted_!".

Thirty minutes later, Mia was walking around the room with a trashbag, collecting the destroyed festive giftwrap, while everyone else 'played with their new toys', so to speak.

"Everyone happy with their gifts?" She asked.

Dom replied, "Definitely."

"Absolutely," came Jesse's response.

"Always." Brian nodded his approval.

"It's like you guys know me, personally, or something." Letty joked.

"Smartass." Leon laughed.

"I always get the best stuff, man." Vince said, putting on his new cowboy hat.

"I'm glad." Mia smiled, looking around at her family.

"Oh, wait, there's two more gifts for Mia and Brian from all of us." Letty announced. She reached as far back as she could, under the tree, retrieving the hidden gifts. They were both small packages.

She handed one to Mia and one to Brian. The brunette unwrapped the first gift. Together, Brian and Mia opened the purple velvet box. Inside was a silver baby rattle with 'For Baby O'Connor' monogrammed around it.

Mia started to tear up. "You guys! This is so beautiful. Thank you!"

"Okay, open the next one." Leon said.

This time, it was Brian who opened the package and he immediately started laughing. "Trojan Fire and Ice condoms? Really guys?"

"Yeah, it's so we don't have to buy another silver rattle any time soon." Jesse chuckled.

"If anyone needs them, it's Dom and Letty." Brian chimed, throwing them at Dom. The muscled Italian caught the colorful box and laughed.

"Yeah, we heard you two going at it. Alllll night," remarked Vince.

"Oh god." Letty said, putting her reddening face in her hands.

"Dom and Letty, sitting in a tree-." Leon started.

"F-U-C-K-I-N-G. First comes love then comes marriage..." Everyone else added in unison...

While Dom and Letty just looked in embarrassment.

_**Up Next: New Years!**_


	28. In With The New

_**A/N: Sorry (kinda) for the small delay in updates. My selfish muse had other plans. (New AU coming soon!) This chapter is just a little family bonding to bring in the new year. It just came to me as I was listening to Daley's "Those Who Wait" on repeat. (: Enjoy, my little darlings.**_

_**Chapter 27: In With The New**_

_Sunday, December 29, DT's Auto Shop, 10:46PM_

"Done. Finally." Leon announced with a stretch of his back. He wiped his hands on the rag that Letty threw to him.

"Finally. I've got a hot date tonight." Letty replied. She closed her eyes and tilted her head from side to side, attempting to dull the cramp in her neck. Her left hand came up to rub her right shoulder and she sighed.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. With my bed. Can you guys not hear it calling my name right now?" Letty grinned and opened her eyes.

"Nah. Probably because I'm too busy listening to _my _bed call _my _name." Vince joked. He flicked a rag at her stomach, causing her to flinch inwardly.

The days after the holidays proved to be extremely busy for the shop. Accidents because of wreckless drivers in the constant winter rain mixed with early annual inspections. Whenever they finished one car, another customer entered the garage. The money was good and working on cars was what they loved to do, so they weren't complaining.

That is, until the entire week slipped by them and before they knew it, it was Sunday night and their weekend was pretty much over.

"Dude, we didn't do shit this weekend." Jesse interjected. They grabbed their belongings and began locking up.

"True. That means we'll be well rested for New Years." Vince added, positively.

"Believe me, your liver's should be thankful of this short reprieve." Letty replied before realization fell over her face. "Oh shit. Dom's still in the garage."

Lifting the vertically-sliding door back up, she squinted at the small hint of light coming from the very back of the auto-mechanic paradise. He'd been back there all damn day, doing only god knew what. More than twice that week, he'd asked other members of the team, including Letty, to finish one of his cars as he worked in his mysterious workshop.

"Dom?!" She yelled.

"Yeah?" Came the reply.

"We're heading out."

There was silence for a few moments. Letty looked at Vince and Leon, who simply shrugged. They were all tired and just wanted to go home and everything inside of them hoped like hell that Dom didn't ask them to stay.

"Lock up!" He shouted back.

He didn't have to tell them twice. They closed the door again and Leon looped the chain around and sealed it with a padlock.

And off they went.

_Tuesday, December 31, Los Angeles, 10:23PM_

Entering her and Mia's apartment after her last boxing class of the year, Letty felt relief wash over her. She half-expected Mia to already have the New Years' festivities underway. But there was nothing but silence, and she loved it. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was wash the smell of the muggy gym off of her body.

"Mia!" Letty called as she dropped her bag by the door, as per weekly tradition. Mia would yell at her later to pick it up.

_Speaking of..._

"Mia!" Letty yelled out again. She still received no answer. Letty searched around the apartment quickly, with no sign of Mia anywhere.

Heading to the kitchen to get a banana and water, Letty stopped in her tracks. In lieu of the usual shopping list, Letty read the message that Mia had left on their dry-erase board.

_L,_

_At Hector's for NYE. _

_Shower and get your ass here!_

_-M._

Letty groaned inwardly. It's not that she didn't _want _to celebrate New Years' with her friends and family. But, goddamit, she was tired. And if she _had _to celebrate, she'd rather it be in her own home. That way, she could kick everyone out when she got too tired and not worry about having to drive home at four a.m., semi-tipsy.

"Oh, god. I'm turning into my mother." Letty remarked to herself.

That statement alone was enough to kick Letty's ass into high-gear. Years ago, she had promised herself that she'd never turn into her mother when she got older. And the exhaustion and desire to stay home -_and on New Years, no less_- was definitely something that only her mother would do. After mentally scolding herself (_bad Letty_!), the Latina headed straight for the shower.

_Hector's, Echo Park, 11:17PM_

"Ayyyy! Nice of you to show your face!" Hector greeted. His face, already looking like the poster boy for marijuana, had lit up and he pulled her into the apartment. The place was nice, and although Letty had only been there about four or five times, she was sure something was different about it.

Besides the fifty or so people that had been crammed inside. The music blasted. Liquor was flowing freely. Thick smoke hung in the air and Letty was suddenly worried about Mia's baby catching a contact high.

"Where's Mia?" Letty asked, concerned.

"Out on the patio with O'Connor." Hector replied. She smiled at him and gave him a nod before heading off towards the kitchen. Swiftly, as Letty walked past the counter, she pulled herself a Corona out of the large bin of ice and opened the patio doors.

Letty thanked the heavens that Hector lived on the first floor. Not that she was afraid of heights, but simply because of the drunken idiot that was leaning on Hector's wrought-iron gate, vomitting up the contents of his stomach, looked as though he was about to fall. Letty raised her eyebrows and sighed as she used the edge of the patio table to pop the top off of her beer.

"Letty! You made it!" Mia exclaimed from Brian's lap.

"I made it." Letty replied, smiling and sitting in a chair. "Where's Dom?"

"My ears are burning." Dom's voice came from the patio door. Letty's head leaned backwards over the chair and she looked at him upside down.

"You should probably get that checked out." She teased just before he bent down and pressed his lips against hers.

The patio light was dim and there was a _Off! _candle, flickering on the table, surrounding them in an invisible mosquito net. Besides the vomitting fool, the only people on the patio was the team.

"Okay, people, new years' resolutions. What are they?" Jesse inquired.

"Have more sex." Vince confessed, raising his beer in a mock toast.

"Have _less _sex." Letty grinned.

"That's funny, 'cause that was my resolution, too." Dom teased.

"Oh yeah?" Letty answered. "I'll remember that the next time that Mia tries to take me lingerie shopping."

Though he knew she was joking around, Dom's nostrils flared, briefly. Ever since their Christmas Eve lovemaking, the thought, alone, of Letty in sexy undergarments was enough to evoke the strongest erection known to man. Letty winked at him and she raised her eyebrows, daringly; her tongue pushing against the corner of her mouth. Dom could only shake his head and drink from his beer.

"I want an easy birth and a healthy baby." Mia chipped in.

"Same." Brian said as he rubbed her stomach in a circular motion.

"I think I want to find a good girl this year." Leon's confession shocked the team. Silence fell around them and they looked over to him.

"Define 'good girl'. As in 'virgin'?" Brian questioned.

"Nah, man. Although, let's be honest," Leon chuckled, "that'd be nice. Unrealistic for LA, though."

Mia tilted her head side-to-side in agreement.

"But, I just mean, as in a girl who doesn't want to party twenty-four-seven. I'm getting too old. Ya know? I mean, look at Mia. She's the youngest out of all of us and she's got a good, clear future for her."

"She's a Toretto, bro. Nothing's clear about her future."

"Hey!" Mia laughed, throwing the top from her water bottle at him.

"I'm kidding."

"So, are you saying you want to start settling down?" Dom inquired.

Leon thought about it for a moment, before nodding his head. "Yeah, I think that's what I'm saying."

"Awww. Our wittle Leon's all growed up." Letty chuckled.

"What about you, Let?" Jesse asked.

"Me? I don't know. I'm twenty-seven, ya know? I barely know what I want for breakfast in the morning. Let alone what I want this year." She responded, honestly. "But I will say this: I'm content in my life as of right now. I love who I am and the people that I surround myself with."

"That's always been you, Let. You've always known exactly who you are." Mia told her.

"Dom?"

Dom leaned over so his forearms rested on his muscular thighs. He rubbed his bald head and sighed. "I don't know. I think I'm in the same boat as Leon. I'm always gonna wanna race and have a little fun every now and then. But, I'm ready to settle down. I don't see kids in the very near future, but I'd like to just be able to come home to a hot Latina woman cooking me dinner."

"God, I _really _hope you find a woman like that. I'll marry her, too." Letty snorted.

Laughter rang around patio.

"Okay, fine. She can order out. As long as she's hot and Latin." Dom compromised, smiling.

He turned his attention to Letty's profile. Watched how she used the neck of the bottle to bring it to her lips and sip. How she cleared her throat after every drink, as if she'd never get used to the slight tinge the amber liquid left as she swallowed. Noticed how she tapped her slender fingers against the arm of the chair she was sitting in; not a nervous tick. Just something to keep time with. Even the little things, he noticed.

And always wanted to notice them.

For as long as he lived.

"So, yeah, this year I definitely want to start settling down." He finished.

A slight smirk crossed Letty's features. It was so slight, in fact, that he wasn't even sure he'd seen it. But, it was definitely there. She wasn't the kind of woman who liked being told what to do. But, Dom had a feeling she didn't mind him speaking his mind about settling down with her.

Vince raised his beer. "_A familia_." (_To family_.)

"To _familia_." They resounded.

"Ay!" Hector said, poking his head out of the patio door. "Get your asses in here! One minute countdown."

Grabbing their things, they headed into the apartment where a lot of their friends (and some strangers) had begun a thirty-second countdown. When they got to ten, everyone in the room began counting.

_Five..._

_Four.._

_Three._

_Two_

"ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" They shouted in unison. Laughter rang out. People embraced. Lovers kissed. And the music was turned all the way up. As they brought in the new year with the people who mattered the most to them.

_**Up Next: A Valentine's Day surprise. And V-day flashback.**_


	29. King of Hearts

_**A/N: Okay, so along with this chapter, I've posted a new F&F AU. (: It's called 'Teacher's Pet'. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter of that. It'll probably be between 15 and 20 chapters (maybe longer). And once I get to chapter 10 on that one, I'll be posting another new AU called 'Turning Tables'.**_

_**Lyrics in this chapter is 'Game Over' by Daley. I demand that you guys check this song out while reading this chapter.**_

_**Also, I simply **__**couldn't **__**resist the middle name that I gave Letty. Lol.**_

_**Enjoy! (:**_

_**Chapter 28: King of Hearts**_

_Flashback, 1 year ago (2013), Valentine's Day, Los Angeles, 7:33PM_

_Shower. Beer. Quick dinner. Macbook. In that particular order. _

_Letty had no intentions of going to a club or out to eat with Mia or even step foot on the boardwalk. It was the second Valentine's Day that she wasn't spending with Dom and she was honestly sickened by the idea that a single day could be devoted to lovers. Though when Mia asked, she denied being 'bitter' about anything._

Why couldn't they show that appreciation every day and keep the vomit-fest at a minimum?

_Opening her Internet browser, Letty typed a few keys before hitting the 'enter' button with sudden force._

_"Let! You home?!" Mia's voice called from the living room._

_"In here!" Letty yelled from the comfort of her own bed._

_A few moments passed before she heard Mia's presence in the hallway and then the crack in her room door widened significantly. Letty looked up and furrowed her eyebrows. Mia was holding a large bouquet of red roses and baby's breath mixed with another type of flower that Letty was unfamiliar with, in a crystal vase. She rolled her eyes._

_"What sucker from the restaurant gave you those?" She asked, looking back at her computer screen._

_"For your information, they aren't for me. They're for you."_

_Letty lifted her eyes but not her head. "They're lovely. Thanks, Mia." She deadpanned._

_"_And _they're not from me," finished Mia. "They were outside of the apartment door. And the card says 'Letty'."_

_She rounded the bed and sat the floral arrangement on Letty's nightstand, turning them so the thick red bow around the vase showed. Curiousity getting the better of her, Letty pushed her laptop further down the bed and reached over to pull the card from the holder. Flipping it open, the top of the horizontal card gave a break down of the flowers and their meanings:_

_**Azalea: Take care of yourself **__**for me**__**.**_

_**Baby's Breath: Everylasting love.**_

_**Rose (red): I love you.**_

_The bottom half of the card, in elegant script, read:_

_**Ride or die.**_

_**Remember?**_

_**-DT**_

_Letty inhaled deeply, her breath shaky. She cleared her throat and replaced the card back in it's holder._

_"So, don't keep me in suspense. Who are they from?"_

_"Secret admirer." Letty responded, pulling her laptop back towards her. She crossed her legs, Native-American-style and rested her chin in the web of her hand, challenging herself not to cry in front of Mia._

_"Secret admirer?! That's so cute." Mia plucked the card from the stick and flipped it open. Letty shut one eye in a cringe, waiting for Mia to reprimand her for lying. Instead, Mia simply returned the note to its original place. _

_When she spoke next, her voice was completely calm, soft. "Letty."_

_"Mia." Letty warned._

_"Call him. Thank him."_

_"Pass."_

_"He loves you. And I know for a fact that he isn't sleeping." The younger woman tried again._

_"_Ay, Dios_, Mia, neither am I." Letty blurted out. Her voice wasn't harsh or angry. It was unsteady, wavering between matter-of-fact and sad._

_A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. "It's been two years since the breakup. Maybe... maybe just start with thanks." She offered. Her hand slid off of Letty's arm and she crossed the room, closing the door._

_And then Letty felt it. The small tear, diluted in black, liquid eyeliner, fell from her right eye and landed on her forearm. She reached for her iPhone, unlocking it as she brought it to her lap. She tapped at the touchscreen for a few moments._

_**Send New iMessage.**_

_**Add Contact: Mia's Brother.**_

_Ten seconds past. Twenty-five. One minute. Before she sniffled and typed:_

_**'Thanks'.**_

_Before hitting 'send'._

_End of flashback_

_Friday, Mia & Letty's apartment, February 14, Los Angeles, 6:06PM_

"No, Mia. I'm not wearing a dress. I'm not going to dinner to watch sick, _sick _people make out. And I'm _definitely _not doing my hair. And you can't make me." The Latina crossed her arms and turned her sights back on the mounted flat-screen on the wall above her dresser.

"Do I have to call Dom over here?" Mia said, holding up the black bandage dress.

"Call him! I'll kick his ass too." Letty threatened, nonchalantly, her eyes never leaving the _Top Gear _episode.

"Leticia Ana-Lucia Ortiz, you promised you'd go to dinner. Double-date night? Remember?"

Letty's eyes widened. _Oh no she didn't!_

"I said I'd go to dinner. I didn't say anything about wearing a dress or heels."

"But whyyyy?" Mia whined.

"Becauuuse." Letty mocked her. Her phone vibrated in her lap.

_**'New iMessage: Dom'**_

_Are you giving Mia hell about dinner attire yet?_

Letty smirked.

_A little. What's it to you?_

_She IS my little sister. _

_Mine too. Your point?_

_Smart ass. Go easy on her or else..._

_Or else what?_

_I'm gonna have to rough you up a bit._

The brunette laughed out loud.

_You're a funny guy. You should take your act on the road._

A minute or two passed before he responded.

_What are you wearing?_

_You're sick._

_Haha, I'm serious. Are you dressed?_

_So-so._

_Put on shoes and meet me downstairs in five minutes. I've got something for you._

Letty threw her phone aside and slid into the pair of black and neon green Nike track sneakers she'd had on earlier. In her dark grey sweatpants and black t-shirt that read 'SCARE YOURSELF EVERYDAY' in neon green writing, Letty deemed herself presentable. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, the ends falling past her shoulderblades and down her back, and tucked her gold necklaces into her shirt.

"Where you headed?"

"No clue. Your brother requests my presence." Letty answered. She grabbed her keys and phone before she walked past Mia, grabbing the dress out of her hand and throwing it onto the bed. "I'll wear the damn dress."

Mia's face lit up. "Yes!"

As Letty headed out the front door, Mia remembered something. "Dinner's at eight! Do not be late!"

_DT's Auto Shop, Los Angeles, 6:23PM_

Dom pulled onto the sidewalk into front of the garage. Leaving the door open, he unlocked it and slid it upwards. Before he motioned for Letty to pull the car inside, she was already in the driver's seat. One foot out of the open driver's side door, grazing the ground, and the other on the gas pedal, she slowly eased the car into the garage before putting it into park and climbing out; turning up the radio and leaving the door open as she did.

"Okay. What do you have to show me?" She asked.

"Wait 'til you see." He grinned cheekily as he grabbed her hand in his.

Letty gave a small, throaty chuckle. Pulling Letty a few more steps away, they turned the small corner to Dom's 'mysterious workshop', as they'd recently deemed it.

"Okay. Close your eyes." He ordered, gently. Letty squinted her eyes at him, hesitantly. But, ultimately, she trusted him with her life, so she did as she was told. Hands in the pockets of her sweatpants, Letty stood there with her eyes closed and her heartbeat quickening.

Supressing the urge to peek out of one eye, Letty listened as he rustled with something for a few moments before he cleared his throat.

"Okay. Open them."

Letty opened her eyes and they widened. Her right hand flew to her mouth and she jogged in place, excitedly before she jumped up and down, her ponytail slapping against her back.

"_Shut_. _Up_! You did _not_!" She exclaimed. Looking between him and her surprise. He nodded back and shrugged as if it weren't a big deal.

Standing proud in front of her, was the first car she'd ever built by herself. Dom had completely restored the car to its glory. Instead of the magenta color that it used to be, Dom had airbrushed it with in a dark, wine-red with two white racing stripes on the hood. He'd left it opened so she could see the eight-thousand dollars worth of parts he'd installed inside. Everything gleamed silver or a shiny black. She leaned over, admiring the work, and allowed her hands to roam over some things.

"Dom. This is-." At a loss for words, Letty stood back up and shook her head in disbelief. "_Increible_." (_Incredible_).

Dom nodded head towards the inside of the car. Letty's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she rounded the front of the car to open the driver's side door. On the front seat was a vibrant red, fully bloomed rose. She picked it up and heard something drop to the floor with a small "_CLINK!_" She bent over to pick it up and stared at the small circle in her hand.

And suddenly the radio seemed louder as Letty's world began to spin.

_Baby girl,_

_You're the most consistent thing in my world_

_No on else can represent like you do_

_So my life is what you make it_

Letty looked between the rose and ring. The gold ring with the diamond bright enough to blind her. And big enough to prohibit her hand from reaching into her pocket. And him. Dominic Toretto. _Was he-? To her?_

"Wha-."

_Don't speak,_

_There's nothing else you need to say, you got me_

_Yeah, and you've had me under lock and key_

_Since the first kiss. Remember that?_

He took the ring from her and put her left hand in his.

"I don't need a big ceremony. Or extravagant clothing. Or fancy food. I just need you. And all of your little quirks and facial expressions and mood swings for the rest of my life. I just want to know that you'll _always _be the blood that races through my veins." Dom slid the molded gold onto her ring finger. "Is that okay?"

_And so, leave all the 'he said, she said' behind_

_I'm playing for you, I'm on your side._

_Didn't you know_

_Well, if you don't already know_

_It's game over, game over_

_Yeah, if you don't already know_

_It's game over, game over._

"Dom-." Letty breathed. She looked at the rock on her finger and back up at Dom. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she tried to find his nervous face through her blurred vision.

"Of course. Are you kidding?!" She laughed into the kiss he planted on her lips.

"Yes. Yes. Yes." She whispered between kisses. "I love you so much."

"I love you so much."

_Yeah, we don't play head games_

_Don't alwys say the things we mean to sy_

_But the feelings that we keep between the sheets as we sleep_

_Make the words irrelevant anyway_

_So I don't care what they say_

_Don't listen to people's doubts_

_Listen to me, just me_

_It's you I choose_

_And I'm doing everything I can to make you believe me_

They kissed for what seemed like an eternity before either pulled away.

_Now, don't worry about what people say_

_They're gonna always try to put the sun out with the rain_

_Just think about the history_

_Think about it all_

_Then tell me where you belong_

Looking at her watch. Letty wiped her wet eyes with the palm of her right hand. "Shit. Mia's gonna kill us if we're late to dinner."

"Are you gonna tell her?" He asked.

"I-. Well, if I don't, she'll probably kill me. And if I do, well, she'll probably kill me by shoving a huge wedding down my throat." Letty replied, shrugging. "So, it's pretty much a lose-lose."

"So, that's a 'yes'?"

"Basically."

_Vincenti Ristorante, Brentwood, 8:14PM_

Once they were seated, Brian, Dom, Letty and Mia ordered beverages and then sat talking as they browsed menus.

Not being one for flashy things, had turned the diamond of her ring around so that only the gold band showed. She and Dom kept glancing at each other over their menus. He nodded his head towards Mia, inconspicuously.

"Tell her." He mouthed.

Letty's eyebrows raised and she nodded to Mia as well. "You tell her."

Mia cleared her throat. "I'm pregnant. Not stupid. Tell me what?"

Letty huffed air from her nose and squinted at Dom, before looking at Mia. "Mia..."

"Oh, god, who died?" Mia asked, her hand pressed against her chest.

"No one died, Mia. Sheesh. What I was going to say was that Dominic, here-. Well, he, uh-."

"I proposed to her." Dom finished, unable to bear Letty's rambling any longer.

Mia's eyes went wide. "Don't tease me right now. I'm liable to have a heart attack."

Letty twisted the ring on her finger and gently slapped her hand on the table in front of Mia, whose eyes widened even more. She started to fan herself, furiously, and her breathing increased.

"Babe, here. Here, drink some water." Brian said, sliding the glass of ice water in front of her. She sipped from the water and tried to slow her breaths.

"I've been waiting for this moment for twelve years." She confessed. Letty rolled her eyes.

"Hear that, Dom? Twelve years." Letty said, sticking her tongue out at him, playfully.

"I'll admit: it's been a long time coming."

"You can say that again." Brian joked.

The next half-hour consisted of ordering their food and reminiscing about their younger years.

"...And Dom would pick fights with Letty just to get a reaction. He didn't care if she was pissed at him, as long as she was giving him attention." Mia confessed to Brian.

"I didn't know that." Letty said, looking across the table at Dom. He neither confirmed nor denied Mia's statement. She turned her attention to Mia.

"That turn you on?" He asked, in jest.

Letty leaned back in her chair and drummed her fingertips on the table. Her legs crossed under the table swiveled side to side. "A little."

"You two have issues." Brian laughed.

"It's sweet. You wanted my attention."

"Always did." Mia told her.

"Still do." Dom admitted, shrugging.

"Good. 'Cause you've got it." Letty grinned.

_She couldn't wait to get him home. Oh, the things she was going to do to him._

_**Up Next: Normalcy.**_

_**A/N #2: So, because of the way I've written the epilogue of this story (chapter 30), I've decided to do a one-shot sequel. I had so much fun writing this story and I **__**KNOW **__**you guys are gonna wanna see what happens after the epilogue. BELIEVE ME!**_


	30. The Beginning Again

_**A/N: One more chapter (after this one). Wahh. Sad to see this story go. Enjoy, my little chicken nuggets! (:**_

_**Chapter 29: The Beginning Again**_

_Seven and a half months later..._

_Saturday, mid-June, Echo Park, 10:24AM_

"You have _got _to be _kidding _me!" Letty grumbled, annoyed.

She swore that Mia was joking when she said to be up bright and early to move. Unfortunately, not believing Mia was on her. She'd gone out with Vince and Leon to a cowboy bar and knocked back more shots of Jack Daniels than she cared to count. And she didn't stumble into the apartment until damn near five in the morning and crashed on the floor of the living room as they'd already loaded the couch into the moving van. She was shocked as shit when Mia had shoved her awake at seven a.m., demanding that she grab any last minute toiletries out of the bathroom. Whoever thought it was a good idea to move in the early hours of a Saturday morning was truly insane.

Still, the house was finally complete, just as Edwin said it would be. Mold-free, with all of the proper paperwork completed, Dom was handed a set of shiny, new keys and the deed for the new land expansion on the house.

So, here she was, at ten-thirty in the morning, body and head aching with a hangover as she hoisted yet another box from the floor of the U-Haul truck and headed up the fresh, cement stairs. She turned just in time to see Jesse holding the screen door open for Brian and Dom as they brought in their large, black leather couch.

"Is it just me or is a serious bout of deja vu going around?" Mia quipped, suddenly standing behind Letty. The older brunette jumped a bit and smiled.

"Deja vu," confirmed Letty, nodding her head. She stretched her back side-to-side before rubbing Mia's almost-eight-month belly. "_Titi'_s baby."

Mia scrunched up her nose in a smile; though Letty would never admit it, she was great around kids. She was uncharacteristically patient and Mia was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that Letty would be spoiling her little niece or nephew when the time came.

_7:00PM_

The rooms in the house had been expanded a little and the space was a bit more than obvious. Even with Dom and Letty's clothes, boxes and furniture all over the place, there was still more room for little odds and ends to be added. Earlier in the week, the team had painted every room in the house, including the the pale green of the baby's nursery.

Dom and Letty's room had been painted a deep, red-wine color, complete with a silver, Casablanca allover pattern. All of the furniture was sharp, black wood, including the new bedframe. Letty had demanded that they purchase a new bed to symbolize a fresh start. But as she leaned over the California king bed, she was now cursing herself for having a boyfriend who was built like a football player. She'd been fussing with the black, silk fitted sheet for the past two minutes. Her back was beginning to hurt due to the bed's only slight rise from the carpeted floor.

"Couldn't just get a regular king-sized bed, could he? Or maybe just a queen-size." She grumbled as she finally tucked the last corner under the mattress.

"Shouldn't I be present if you're cursing me out?" Dom's voice asked from the doorway.

Not turning around, Letty smirked. "I can do it just fine without you."

"Oh yeah?" Dom jogged forward and wrapped an arm around Letty's waist, pulling her onto the plush bed along with him. The laugh that came out of her mouth was loud and free and as they lie on the bed with her back against his front, Dom pulled her face to his and kissed her lips over and over.

"I love you." He told her, kissing her again.

"I love you."

Another kiss. And another followed.

"Now, come on," Letty said, slapping her hand against his thigh. "Help me put the rest of these sheets on the bed."

Just as they finished adding the final wine-red decorative pillow on the bed, they heard:

"Come and get it!" From the bottom of the stairs.

Letty and Dom looked up at each other before making a beeline for the bedroom door, both trying to squeeze through at the same time. They raced down the stairs, with Letty jumping through the doorless kitchen first.

"In yo' face, Toretto! Can't win 'em all, sucker." She teased, giving his back a faux sympathetic pat.

"It's not polite to be a sore winner, Letty. Right, Mia?" The tall, Italian interjected.

"Fight your own battles, Dom. Vince!" Mia laughed, smacking his food-napping hand away from the macaroni and cheese dish. "Go set the table."

Dom opened the back door and yelled across the lawn (and brand new, shallow, in-ground pool) to the newly added pool house. "Leon! Jesse! Grub!"

"It's like you children never grew up." Mia scolded, playfully, as Jesse jogged through the kitchen, grabbing a fried chicken wing from a large plate on his way out.

What was only five minutes, seemed like forever to Mia, who rolled her eyes at her wild family. This was the first meal that they were sharing in their revamped childhood home. They had to begin making memories in the new place and it seemed that they'd already begun. It felt like old times.

And once Vince and Jesse shared the responsibility of saying Grace, they tucked in and enjoyed the first memory of many.

_Two and one half months later..._

_Saturday, mid-September, Los Angeles, Noon_

The smell of barbecue filled the air and the team filled the backyard. Mia's son, baby Jack, lie in a baby swing in front of Mia. The large umbrella of the patio table shielded him, and everyone else from the warm end-of-summer sun. Everyone but Letty.

At some point during the festivities, she'd taken a deep breath of barbecue and a fit of coughing began. She stood from her chair and jogged to the side of the house where she coughed so hard that she deposited the contents of her stomach in the lush grass. When Dom asked if she was okay, she'd nodded her head.

"The smoke got into my lungs." She had told him. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

In the en-suite bathroom of her and Dom's room, Letty spit out the toothpaste, rinsed her mouth and returned her toothbrush to its holder. Her hands gripped the sides of the sink and she looked at herself in the mirror. Her face looked a little pale, despite having been in the sun the entire day.

Letty'd been in the bathroom for a little over ten minutes before Dominic came knocking.

"Let? You good?" He asked, his fist still poised on the door.

"Yeah. I'll be out in a minute." She responded. The balled up toilet paper in her hand was tossed into the trash before she unlocked the bathroom door and opened it, smiling at Dom.

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. Don't worry so much, papa." Letty patted his chest as she walked past him. When he didn't move from the doorway, she turned around, walking backwards. "You coming?"

"Yeah. Just gotta-." Dom pointed into the bathroom.

"Hey, do your business, man." Letty put her hands up in surrender and turned back around to head down the stairs.

Dom looked after her for a few more heartbeats before he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Back outside in the yard, Letty sat on the bench of the picnic table. Mia reached over the table, placing a gentle hand on her forearm.

"Feel better?"

Letty forced a smile. "Yeah. I have no idea what that was about."

"Vince probably went overboard on the lighter fluid." Mia said loud enough for Vince to hear.

"I did no such a thing!" He defended, putting a little more bass in his voice and puffing out his chest.

"Then what's with all the smoke?" Letty countered.

Vince spread his arms wide, a metal grilling fork still in his right hand. "I'm just too damn hot, Letty. I'm just too damn hot."

Letty snorted her laughter. "Good one, man."

Finally, Dom exited the house and came down the stairs, taking his seat next to Letty. He kissed her cheek and she looked up at him and smiled.

"Ribs are done." Vince shouted, victoriously.

"Thank god. I want like ten of them." Letty announced. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a llama. Fur and all."

"That's disgusting." Brian chuckled.

"Yeah, well, at least I'd be able to survive in the wild, thank you very much." Letty quipped. Vince sat the aluminum tray of barbecued ribs in the center of the table. Letty reached for a paper plate, sitting it in front of her. When she leaned over, her black tank top stretched over her chest, the top flesh of her breasts playing peek-a-boo.

"Jesus, Letty. Cover those things up." Leon laughed, holding his hand in front of his face.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. They've got a mind of their own these days." Letty deadpanned, as she pulled her shirt up.

"I bet they do." Mia commented. Letty threw her a warning look.

Before she could reach for the mouthwatering pork ribs, however, Dom sat something on the center of her plate. She looked down. Her eyes widened and her arms retracted back towards her plate. She picked it up and then looked at Dom.

"So...," Dom started, his voice low and teasing.

Letty smiled, trying her best to look innocent. Instead, she looked as if she'd been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

"Surprise?" She managed.

"What? What is it?" Mia asked. A few heartbeats passed as Dom just looked at Letty, trying to suss out exactly what expression was now donning his face. Mia reached over the table and pulled the small, white plastic out of Letty's hand. Her eyes widened as well.

"Oh my god! Letty!" Mia breathed out.

Silence from Dom and Letty.

"Letty!" Mia shouted. "You're _pregnant_?!"

Looking around the backyard at her family staring at her, their mouths agape.

"Oh, stop staring at me, people. Dom's the one that knocked me up." She said, pointing with her thumb at Dom.

"Dominic Toretto, _what _have we talked about regarding safe sex?" Mia turned her sights on Dom, who looked at her in disbelief. Letty chuckled, sneakily as she finally reached for her ribs.

"What?!" He exclaimed, pointing at himself. "So this is my fault?"

"Yup, _Daddy_. It's your fault." Letty said, casually. Just before she brought the rib to her watering mouth, Dom grab her face and kissed her solid.

"I'm gonna be a daddy? Seriously?"

"You're gonna be a daddy." Letty reiterated, kissing him again. "Now, leave your pregnant fiancee alone so she can feed your baby."

_**Up Next: The epilogue.**_

_**A/N: There are torches and pitchforks available in aisle 3. (: Hehe.**_


	31. Epilogue

_**Chapter 30: The Epilogue**_

_Six months later..._

_**A/N: Stay tuned for the two-shot wrap-up of 'Just Across the Hall'! It will be posted no later than the end of next week! (: Thank you, beautiful souls, for reading, reviewing and being absolutely amazing! I'm sure all of you writers out there can agree with me when I say that it is a great honor when someone reads your work and appreciates it for what it is worth. That being said: love and light, my darlings! **_

_**-Desi**_


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